THE “HARLEQUIN”: AN OSTYAK IDOL

The current paper describes the ways in which certain foreign-made artifacts are used in the traditional Khanty and Mansi culture (17th–21st centuries). Most of these objects are toys, figurines, porcelain, and glassware primarily originating in Russia. The paper shows that such items were mainly used as images of deities and spirit-guardians. Less often they were employed in magic rites or as sacrificial substitutes. The use of the Russian “toys” in the traditional culture of the Ob Ugrians illustrates ethno-cultural contacts in northwestern Siberia over recent centuries.