Curator's Choice: Risen from the Ashes (original) (raw)
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Alice Blackwell recently suggested that the terminals of the pseudo-penannular Hunterston, ‘Tara’ and Dunbeath brooches conceal embedded animal heads which flank a Christological symbol on the bridge linking the two terminals. She interpreted this as a motif based on the Canticle of Habakkuk’s statement that Christ would be recognised between two living things. Her argument is based on the shape of the terminals and on the placement of the studs, which she suggested echo the design of filigree animals ornamenting the front surfaces of these brooches. This paper, which is based on detailed study of the brooches and on analytical drawings of their animal ornament, challenges Alice Blackwell’s suggestion, and offers a different explanation for the features that she identified.
The Wirral brooch- a rural and regional brooch type
In Grabher, G., and Schierl, T. (eds). 2013. 'Relations Abroad'. Innsbruck University. A type of Romano-British brooch, known as the Wirral brooch, has been identified as forming a specific type with a clearly defined distribution area (the Wirral peninsula in the North-West of England). It is a bow brooch with a panel of chequerboard enamel on the upper section, a headloop and a plain foot. The Portable Antiquities Scheme has been invaluable in adding to the numbers of brooches of this type known about as it is found mainly in rural areas. The rural distribution highlights the nature of this brooch as a local/native type. The enamelled section stands out as different to the plainer dolphin and Polden Hill types which are most common in this area. I hope to bring together the various strands of my research to highlight the use of brooches to inform us on some of the links between the different communities and regions within Britain. As well as the core group my study defined two distinct sub-groups, one in Scotland and one within an area termed the ‘Northern Military Zone’. This latter sub-group consists of brooches found on military sites and so stands out from the expected distribution in the rural North West. There were strong trade links between the North West and the military area, as the army required both raw materials and finished products, such as the lead produced in North East Wales and the mortaria made in Wilderspool. The mechanism through which the brooches were distributed to the Northern Military Zone is another aspect I will discuss in this paper. This paper will look at what the Wirral brooch as a regional type can tell us about fashion, brooch manufacture and identity in the rural North West of Britain and how brooches can be a window in many aspects of life in the provinces.
Zoomorphic Penannular Brooches in 6th and 7th Century Ireland
Ward, Esther. "Zoomorphic Penannular Brooches in 6th and 7th Century Ireland." MA thesis, University of Nebraska, 2012., 2012
In this thesis the author examines the evolution, manufacture, and societal significance of zoomorphic penannular brooches, a type of metal dress fastener used in early medieval Ireland that is often decorated. The brooches examined are dated to the 6th and 7th centuries, during which the Irish underwent a process of religious conversion from Celtic paganism to Christianity, and social rank was paramount. It is in this social context that the brooches are examined. Despite the significance of this time of social change, brooches from this period tend to be overlooked by scholarship in favor of the more ornate metalwork of the 8th and 9th centuries. The author begins by discussing the origin and evolution of the zoomorphic penannular brooch form, and the motifs used to decorate it. This is followed by an explanation of the brooch in early medieval Irish society, based on an examination of early Irish law and literature. The author took measures to make the field of Medieval Irish metalwork more accessible to scholars outside of Ireland and the UK. The study is presented in a clear manner that is accessible to the outsider, and provides explanatory diagrams and a glossary of terms frequently used in the discipline. In order to amend the lack of high quality images of brooches from this period, the author has provided images of fourteen brooches from the period, 11 of which she handled and photographed at the National Museum of Ireland and the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore. The thesis includes a catalogue of six of these brooches, complete with detailed photos and formal analyses. By way of her research, the author has made the study of 6th and 7th century zoomorphic penannular brooches more accessible to scholars who are outsiders to the field, with the aim of encouraging research of these items during this fascinating time of religious and cultural transition. Adviser: Alison G. Stewart