5 - early medieval

fine metalworking… how?

1. acquisition of raw materials

2. initial fabrication

3. decoration

acquisition of raw materials

• smelting → separated metal from waste material

• then shape into ingot!

initial fabrication

crucibles

• make mould

• casting → pouring into mold and solidifying

decoration

• lost wax casting

• chip-carving

• engraving

• chasing punching

• filigree → soldering metal wires onto metal background

• pressblech → carve design into bone, brush with oil, press down

• trichinopoly → only found in early medieval ireland

• enamel → opaque form of glass, softer than glass

• millefiori →long sticks of glass rods, put together so cross section forms pattern, head it, chop it, lay flat, intricate glass designs!

• glass studs

• amber

what kind of objects?

• ecclesiastic

• and secular

secular examples

• ringed pin

• penannular brooches

  • lough gara and lagore belt buckles

ringed pin

• 7th century onward

penannular brooches

• zoomorphic

• pseudopenannular

• bossed

• thistle

zoomorphic penannular brooch

• 6th - 7th century AD

pseudo-penannular brooch

• 8th century ad

• tara brooch

  • filigree, amber, trichinopoly, 2 animal heads, 2 human faces, la tene spirals

bossed penannular brooch

• 9th century

• amber and silver

• less color

this

thistle brooch

• 10th century ad

• 
  

lough gara and lagore belt buckles

• secular because monks didn’t wear these

• spirals

• 7-8th century

ecclesiastical metalwork

• moylough belt shrine

• house shaped shrines

• ardagh hoard

• ardagh chalice

• derrynaflan hoard

moylough belt shrine

• 8th century AD

• metal case housing belt

house-shaped shrines

• for books / relics

• made for processions

a

ardagh hoard

• ardagh chalice

• 4 brooches

• plain challice

ardagh chalice

• bowl girdle

• interlace

• inscription / engraving (shows made in literate area)

• rivets / studs

• roundels

• kerbschnitt

• under-foot mounting

• foot ring

• blue glass stud

derrynaflan hoard

• another chalice!

• larger than ardagh

• early 9th century

who made these?

• cerd → fine metal worker

• maybe monks

• hierarchy:

  • ollamhs

  • metalworker

  • apprentices

tara brooch

• filigree

• trichinopoly

• 2 animal heads

• 2 human heads

• la tene spirals on back

ardagh chalice

• copper bolt/pin

• handles

• medalions/roundels

• bowl girdle

• interlace/filigree

• zoomorphic interlace

• inscriptions/engravings

• rivets/studs

• kerbschnitt

• underfoot mounting rock crystals

• foot ring

• blue stud glass

• 2x punched/chased ornament

• 4x pressblech

• 2x trichinopoly