Prosperous Crozier

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The Prosperous Crozier

The Prosperous Crozier is an Irish Insular type crozier dating from the late 9th or early 10 century.[1] It was found fully intact by turf cutters in 1831 near Prosperous, County Kildare, but did not receive attention from antiquarians until 1851.[2][3] It is made from copper, zinc, and tin alloy, and contains traces of inscriptions, but they are too worn to read.[4]

Detail of the drop plate

The crozier is in relatively good condition but was split in two halves during the late Middle Ages and recombined in the nineteenth century.[5] It is the longest intact example at a height of 1.34m. Its wooden core is supported by three tubular copper-alloy shaft casings, which hold four shaft knops, a ferrule and the crook.[1] Its drop is lined with decorations of glass and champlevé enamel.[6] The crest lining the hook is decorated with profiles of birds at the top, and a human head at its lower end, just above the drop plate.[1]

The drop contains a modern inscription, probably 18th or 19th century, recording that it was once owned by St. Mary's Abbey, Dublin, although there is no archival evidence to support this claim.[1][6]

It is one of the earliest known examples, and is kept in the archaeology wing of the NMI. It was extensively cleaned and refurbished in the late 20th century.[7]

Citations[]

  1. ^ a b c d Bourke; Hook (2017), p. 136
  2. ^ Bourke; Hook (2017), p. 134
  3. ^ Bray, Allison. Priceless 'Prosperous Crozier' goes on display to public". Irish Independent, 14 November 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2021
  4. ^ Moss (2014), p. 88
  5. ^ Bourke; Hook (2017), p. 133
  6. ^ a b "The Prosperous Crozier". National Museum of Ireland. Retrieved 28 August 2021
  7. ^ Bourke; Hook (2017), p. 135

Sources[]

  • Bourke, Cormac; Hook, Duncan. "The Prosperous, Co. Kildare, Crozier: archaeology and use". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature, volume 117C, 2017
  • Moss, Rachel. Medieval c. 400—c. 1600: Art and Architecture of Ireland. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2014. ISBN 978-0-3001-7919-4
  • Murray, Griffin. "Insular-type crosiers: their construction and characteristics". Making and Meaning in Insular Art: Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Insular Art, 2007
  • Thickpenny, Cynthia; Forsyth, Katherine; Geddes, Jane (eds). "Peopling Insular Art: Practice, Performance, Perception". London: Oxbow Books, 2021. ISBN 978-1-7892-5457-0

External links[]

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