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Tara Brooch - Episode 18026
145 Plays6 years ago
Though considered by some to be the Dark Ages, some aspects of the Early Medieval period produced some phenomenal works of art. Many such works of art made in metal were created in Ireland.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Archaeology Podcast Network
00:00:01
Speaker
You're listening to the Archaeology Podcast Network.
Early Medieval Irish Metalwork
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Speaker
Though considered by some to be the Dark Ages, some aspects of the early medieval period produced some phenomenal works of art. Many such works of art made in metal were created in Ireland. This is episode 26 for January 26, 2018.
Introduction to Arc 365 Podcast
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Speaker
I'm Chris Webster, and welcome to the Arc 365 podcast, 2018 edition. Arc 365 is a podcast a day, every day, in 2018.
Membership Benefits
00:00:31
Speaker
This network is supported by our listeners. You can become a supporting member by going to arcpodnet.com slash members and signing up. As a supporting member you have access to high quality downloads of each show and a discount at our future online store
00:00:46
Speaker
and access to show hosts on a members-only Slack team. For professional members, we'll have training shows and other special content offered throughout the year. Once again, go to arkpodnet.com slash members to support the network and get some great extras and swag in the process. That's arkpodnet.com slash members.
Viking Raids and Irish Artifacts
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Speaker
We are lucky that there are many surviving examples of early medieval Irish metalwork. Much of it has been found in Norway due to Viking raids, but the most spectacular pieces have been found by luck and accident in Ireland. Though spanning multiple centuries and styles, many of the finds are of very high quality and can each be considered masterpieces in their own right. Most of the objects are made from a combination of precious metals, semi-precious stones, and elaborate glasswork. The tradition of elaborate metalwork appears to have continued throughout the early medieval period, and as such, there is an evolution of styles.
00:01:39
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These range from Ultimate Latine, which can be considered to be the final form of Celtic-style artwork, which originated in the continental Europe, to a version of the Ernest style, which was heavily influenced by contact with the peoples of Scandinavia.
The Tara Brooch
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Though to date there have been many finds from this expansive corpus, we shall concentrate on two of them, the Terra Brooch and the Arda Chalice.
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They both show mastery of the metalworkers craft and the variety of techniques available to the medieval master craftsmen. The Terre Brooch was supposedly found in 1850 on a beach in Betsytown County, Meath, around 50 kilometers north of Dublin, in Ireland. It was possibly found inland, but the beach claim would have avoided any legal issues and landowners. The Brooch was sold to GNS Waterhouse Jewelers, who started to make copies.
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At the time, the Celtic revival was in full swing and to help promote interest in the brooch and its copies, the jewelers named it the Terra Brooch, so as to associate it with the Hill of Terra, which is connected with the High Kingship of Ireland in Myth and Legend. The brooch was used as a centerpiece of displays and even made an appearance at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, the Excavation Universale in Paris, and the Dublin Exhibition. While at the Great Exhibition, it caught the eye of Queen Victoria, who bought a copy of it.
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The brooch itself is around 8.7 centimeters in diameter, with the pin being around 32 centimeters long. It is made of silver, some parts of which are plated in gold. The front side of the brooch is decorated with delicate gold filigree panels, which are separated by glass and amber studs. The reverse is flatter and slightly less intricate, with the decoration being cast scrolls and triple spirals. Attached to the brooch is a silver chain made from a form of single strand braiding called trikinopoly. Based on stylistic analysis, the brooch dates to between 650 and 750 AD.
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Much can be learned from an initial glance at the brooch, one of the more interesting aspects showing the level of exchange with other parts of Europe. The presence of amber shows trade with the area around the Baltic, as amber is not natively found in Ireland. This connection to the Baltic may also indicate that the Vikings would have been well aware of the possible wealth to be found in Ireland long before they ever began raiding.
The Ardagh Chalice
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The second of our two examples is the Arda Chalice.
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This beautiful religious vessel was found in 1868 by two boys while they were digging potatoes. It was found on the southwestern side of a ring fort outside the village of Arda in County Limerick. The chalice is around 6.5 inches tall and has a diameter of 9 inches. The chalice is made from a silver and copper alloy with the majority being silver. Upon this, a frame of precious metal multiple decoration techniques have been used and in total 354 separate components.
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The handles and the girdle that pass through them have a combination of gold filigree describing interlace and spirals and enamel and amber studs. Below the girdle is an engraving of the names of the apostles written in a script that originates in Anglo-Saxon England.
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Below the handles are sections of decoration called as scuchions, and equidistant from these are similar decorated roundels. These four added decorative sections have more gold filigree as well as detailed enamel work. The stem of the chalice is decorated with gold kerbschnit or chip-carved decoration, a method which was very popular in both the migration and early medieval periods.
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The bottom of the chalice is also not without decoration. Underneath the foot of the chalice, around the rim, there is a combination of press bleach or dye-stamped plates, as well as flattened trichinopoly. Other techniques used in the making of the chalice are hammering, to raise the silver into the shape of a bold, lost wax casting, applique, and cloisonne.
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It is believed that the chalice was buried sometime during the Viking Age, but it dates to the early 700s, placing it at least 50 years before the traditional start point of that period. In modern times, both of these beautiful artifacts have been used to celebrate Irish culture.
Modern Cultural References
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Both have appeared as postage stamps, and the Arda Chalice is the basis for the Sam Maguire Cup, which is awarded every year to the winner of the Gaelic Athletic Association's All Ireland Football Champions. For more information on this topic, please see the show notes. Thank you.
Accessing More Episodes
00:05:39
Speaker
Thanks for listening to Arc 365. If you want to hear more Arc 365, check out www.arcpodnet.com slash Arc 365 for the 2017 and 2018 episodes. Check out arcpodnet.com slash Arc 365 dash G30 for the last 30 episodes. Please subscribe and rate on your service of choice. We're available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play, among others. Support the APN at arcpodnet.com slash members. Thanks for listening and thanks for being awesome.
00:06:08
Speaker
This show is produced and recorded by the Archaeology Podcast Network, Chris Webster and Tristan Boyle, in Reno, Nevada at the Reno Collective. This has been a presentation of the Archaeology Podcast Network. Visit us on the web for show notes and other podcasts at www.archpodnet.com. Contact us at chrisatarchaeologypodcastnetwork.com.