MORPHOLOGY AND CULTURAL SEMANTICS OF THE “RAM’S HORN” PATTERN IN THE ORNAMENTATION OF THE KAZAKH PLUCKED INSTRUMENT DOMBRA (XINJIANG, CHINA)

The article examines the decorative motif known as the "ram's horn", which adorns the body of the Kazakh plucked instrument dombra, as a key element of the visual culture of the Kazakh people of Xinjiang.The study is based on fieldwork conducted in 2022, including interviews with craftsmen and musicians, and employs a comprehensive methodology combining art-historical, iconographic and ethnomusicological analysis.The author identifies three main morphological types of the pattern -figurative, abstract and compositional -each analysed in terms of its visual characteristics, production techniques and functional adaptation.Particular attention is given to the interaction between the instrument's visual design and its acoustic properties, as well as to the technological logic governing the placement of ornamentation on different parts of the dombra.The examples discussed demonstrate that the "ram's horn" motif is not merely decorative but fulfils structural and semiotic functions, expressing core ideas of cosmological order, totemism and the sacred role of sound in nomadic culture.The article further addresses issues related to the transmission of craft knowledge, mechanisms of improvisational adaptation of ornamentation depending on materials and tools, and colour choices shaped by the instrument's contextual use.The article emphasises the significance of ornament as a visual language that ensures the continuity of ethnocultural traditions and outlines prospects for further study in the context of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.