Folia archeologica 36.
Lovag Zsuzsa: Egy XI. századi bronz korpusz
214 ISTVÁN VÖRÖS or urox alias Tur ( = "Aurochs"). This depiction of Tur( = "Aurochs") by Hirsfogel fits fairly well into the scheme ot representation for cattle at the end of 15th and in the beginning of the 16th century which includes Bos-ochs (ox); vaccacow; taurus-bull; Urus, Bubalus, Wisent etc. representations. The picture of "black" aurox is hightly similar to that of Bison, as regards its body proportions (length of body, the depth and length of the chest, hind quarters). The "black" aurochs representation in Herberstain's 1557 book was taken or rather redrawn by Gessner in his book entitled "Tierbuch" which was published in 1563. This new picture shows a simpler "white" aurochs whose body proportions are similar to those of cattle ox or bulls. Subsequently this caption less picture of a "white" aurochs viewed from the right side was sometimes published from the opposing view as well (Herberstain 1571) and sometimes in the corresponding view (e. g. Gessner 1583, 1595, 1620) either with or vithout caption. While Herberstain's (Aurox-Tur (= "Aurochs") picture and its Gessner variants usually are not regarded as authentic representations of the Aurochs, the "Thür" of the Augsburg painting is accepted by more people az an authentic drawn from a living Aurochs. 7 6 In 1827, H. Smith, an English zoologist, found an oil-painting in az antique shop in Augsburg and made a copy of it. According to H. Smith the picture shows a wild ox; an "Aurochs" which is also verified by an inscription in the corner of the original painting. The inscription gave the "Polish name" of the Aurochs, "Thür". Although in all probability the painting was made about 1525, the original painting has been lost. In my opinion it was painted later. The picture has characteristics which could belong eithet to a young bull 7 7 or a cow(P). 7 8 The Augsburg "Thür" picture is generally considered to authenticly depict Aurochs in the forests of Eastern Europe even at the beginning of the 16th century. The name "Polish Thür" is thought to refer to Masury Aurochs. Moreover, Herberstain's information on Masury Aurox (Tur — "Aurochs") is known from this period. A century later Thür were still reared in the Jaktorow forest SW of Warsaw. They were registered and statistics on their extinction were recorded. 7 9 In my opinion the Augsburg "Thür" picture is not that of an Aurochs but of a regional variety of domesticated cattle, a long-horned and wild. My arguments are as follows: The Augsburg Thür (= "Aurochs") does not look like those large Aurochs bull and cow types known from Late Pleistocene — Early Holocene representations of this animal. Late Paleolithic and Mesolithic dipictions of Aurochs in caves and on rock engravins in SW-Europe must be considered authentic since at that time domesticated Aurochs did not exist and these representations — in spite of the fact that they were made in different areas and come from different periods — are highly similar to each other. Thus, regardless of stylistic differences and in spite of different artistic traditions they give us a true and realistic picture of the animal based on keen observation. Paleolithic and Mesolithic artists outlined the most characteristic contours of the body of this animal with defined drawing and colouring It seems that the 7 6 Ibid. For further literature see here. 7 7 Ibid. 169. 7 8 Zeimer, F., A history of domesticated animals. (London 1963) 204. 7 9 Lengerken, H., op. cit. (1955) 167.
