A choron is an ancient ritual cup with rich decorative patterns, which is intended for drinking koumiss at the traditional ysyakh summer festival of welcoming the sun. The ritual vessel is considered a symbol of abundance, happiness and wealth and is closely connected with the cosmological and mythological ideas of the Sakha people.

These items are made of birch trunk and can come in different sizes. The choron is often supported by a cone-shaped tray or three legs, which can be carved to look like horse shins with hooves. The vessel is decorated with tiered geometric carving.

A group led by Vasily Popov, an employee of the Yakutsk Museum, discovered this koumiss vessel in an earthen grave in the Timir-Bappyt area of Boltoginsky settlement of Churapchinsky ulus in 2005.

The choroon on three legs had the shape of an inverted truncated cone. The height of the vessel was 19 centimeters, the height of the legs — 6.1 centimeters, the diameter of the mouth — 15 centimeters. The body gradually widened towards the mouth. A wide patterned band, which girdled the vessel’s body in the middle, consisted of two rows of zigzags; they were framed by single lines and separated by paired relief triangular lines. Below this main belt was another one, which also consisted of two zigzags with lines. The bottom part of the vessel was decorated with a belt in the form of a grid. The central belt ran along the middle of the body and divided the vessel into two equal parts. The walls were decorated with a carved zonal pattern of three belts. The composition of the belts is represented by rows of zigzags with welt lines. The corolla and the bottom part were decorated with girdles of oblique lines with notches. The legs of the choroon were faceted and decorated with carved transverse and oblique lines.

Chorons on three legs were common in ancient times. This piece was unique because of its removable legs. Gavril Egorov — Choron Khabyryys reconstructed a three-legged choroon at the request of the Churapchinsky Museum in 2022.

Gavril Egorov — Choroon Khabyryys was born in 1949 in Churapchinsky ulus. He graduated from the Yakutsk Art School. He worked as a teacher of fine arts and at consumer service establishments. Today Gavril Vasilyevich is on creative reprieve and lives in the village of Kharbala, where he has his own workshop. He is engaged in making choroons. Gavril Egorov is an honorary citizen of Boltoginsky settlement, People’s Master of Churapchinsky and Suntarsky uluses.