Daughter of Erlik Khan 1977

Ken Kelly painted this scene of a horseman in the style of pulp fantasy art. At its center, the triumphant warrior brandishes a scimitar, a curved blade historically associated with the nomadic horsemen of Central Asia. Consider the scimitar not merely as a weapon, but as a symbol of power and cultural identity. Depictions of weapons have been found as far back as Bronze Age petroglyphs, evolving through antiquity in the swords of classical heroes, the sabers of mounted warriors, and onward. Even today, the warrior wielding a blade touches something primal within us. The raised scimitar, a gesture of victory, is a powerful archetype. Its arc echoes the vault of the sky, and the dark horse suggests a descent from the heavens. We recall the horsemen of the steppes, mythic conquerors, and even the Valkyries of Norse legend. Here, we see how symbols resurface, evolving and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.