Among the decorations of one of the Cuman (Polovtsian) khan's belts there were a buckle, a tip and two drop-shaped loops with rosettes. On the openwork background of the buckle there is a relief image of a siren with a lush tail, which turns into a plant. A feature of the work is a change in the height of the relief and an almost sculptural image of the head. The nib depicts a charging lion.
In the medieval European tradition sirens were often considered the embodiment of sinful temptation and diabolical forces that lull the vigilance and destroy the human soul. In some cases, The lion was considered an allegory of Christ defeating the devil. Thus, in general, the composition had obviously the idea of resisting the devil's temptation and the victory of the Christian faith.
The most famous place for the production of precious objects with such high-quality images was the valleys of the lower Rhine and Meuse.
