DOI Heft:
Nr. 341 (October 1925)
DOI Artikel:Buckley, Eileen: Ring brooches of medieval Ireland
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19986#0060
mceRnAcionAL
left: brooch found in1 Virginia county, right: the ballyspellan brooch
find, discovered in 1806, is one of the finest of the penannular brooch, very different from any of
divided ring type of fibulae. Intertwining serpents the aforementioned, dates also from the tenth
form the pattern of the front, while on the reverse century. The rings on these fibula? were developed
side appears an inscription of the utmost interest, to immense size, the length of the pin proportion-
It consists of four lines of Ogham, the only example ately. The decoration consisted mainly of
of the kind ever discovered on a brooch. The words brambled bosses or bulbs of metal on the head of
have not been deciphered, but it is believed that the pin proper, a corresponding adornment being
they represent only proper names. Ogham, is a placed on each side of the break in the ring of the
very old Irish cryptographic writing of which the brooch. The thistle was a favorite motif, one side
key has not yet been found. A place of special of which was sometimes made smooth and incised
distinction among Irish fibula? should be accorded with a simple interlacing device. Many fibulae of
the University Brooch of the true divided ring this class have been discovered in Lancashire,
type. The most prominent feature of the pin lies Yorkshire, the Orkney Islands, as well as in the
in the openwork terminal plates, whose centres are Isle of Man, and with them are usually found
adornedwithbrambled coins bearing dates
bosses of metal. Inter- kilmainham brooch from 910 to 975. As
the places mentioned
were dominated by
Irish influence at one
time, it is evident that
the pins were either
made by Gaelic work-
ers or by those who
had come in contact
with them.
Small brooches of
gold and of bronze,
beautifully designed
and finished, occasion-
ally come to light in
Ireland, the refined
character of the work-
manship adding much
to their historical and
artistic value.
twining figures of ani-
mals form delicate tra-
cery on the surface of
the pin, the fame of
the mammoth Irish
elk being perpetuated
in the pierced design.
The upper portion of
the hoop, tubular in
form, is surmounted
by a crest of scallops,
a feature found on no
other Irish brooch.
The collection of Tri-
nity college, Dublin,
now claims the Uni-
versity Brooch.
A comparatively
simple type of the large
sixty
october I925
left: brooch found in1 Virginia county, right: the ballyspellan brooch
find, discovered in 1806, is one of the finest of the penannular brooch, very different from any of
divided ring type of fibulae. Intertwining serpents the aforementioned, dates also from the tenth
form the pattern of the front, while on the reverse century. The rings on these fibula? were developed
side appears an inscription of the utmost interest, to immense size, the length of the pin proportion-
It consists of four lines of Ogham, the only example ately. The decoration consisted mainly of
of the kind ever discovered on a brooch. The words brambled bosses or bulbs of metal on the head of
have not been deciphered, but it is believed that the pin proper, a corresponding adornment being
they represent only proper names. Ogham, is a placed on each side of the break in the ring of the
very old Irish cryptographic writing of which the brooch. The thistle was a favorite motif, one side
key has not yet been found. A place of special of which was sometimes made smooth and incised
distinction among Irish fibula? should be accorded with a simple interlacing device. Many fibulae of
the University Brooch of the true divided ring this class have been discovered in Lancashire,
type. The most prominent feature of the pin lies Yorkshire, the Orkney Islands, as well as in the
in the openwork terminal plates, whose centres are Isle of Man, and with them are usually found
adornedwithbrambled coins bearing dates
bosses of metal. Inter- kilmainham brooch from 910 to 975. As
the places mentioned
were dominated by
Irish influence at one
time, it is evident that
the pins were either
made by Gaelic work-
ers or by those who
had come in contact
with them.
Small brooches of
gold and of bronze,
beautifully designed
and finished, occasion-
ally come to light in
Ireland, the refined
character of the work-
manship adding much
to their historical and
artistic value.
twining figures of ani-
mals form delicate tra-
cery on the surface of
the pin, the fame of
the mammoth Irish
elk being perpetuated
in the pierced design.
The upper portion of
the hoop, tubular in
form, is surmounted
by a crest of scallops,
a feature found on no
other Irish brooch.
The collection of Tri-
nity college, Dublin,
now claims the Uni-
versity Brooch.
A comparatively
simple type of the large
sixty
october I925