Rogart Brooch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rogart Brooch
Silver-gilt Pennanular Brooch (7816199762).jpg
MaterialSilver, plated with gold, glass, amber
Sizehead (diameter): 12cm, pin (length) 19.3cm, 1.4g
Period/culture8th century
PlaceRogart, Sutherland, Scotland
Present locationNational Museum of Scotland
IdentificationNMS FC2[1]

The Rogart Brooch is a large penannular brooch of Pictish origin, dated to the eighth century.[2] It measures 12cm (head width) x 19.3cm (pin length) and characteristic of contemporary Pictish brooches, contains three-dimensional (ie high-relief) bird-head inserts formed with glass.[3] It was rediscovered as part of a larger 8th century hoard f brooches during railroad excavations (ie "blasting") in 1868 at Rogart, Sutherland, in Scotland.[4][5][6] It is held in the collection of the National Museum of Scotland (NMS) in Edinburgh, where it is on permanent display.

c. 1881 drawing of the three Rogart penanular brooches. Note differences in scale with NMS2 the largest.

The Rogart hoard of brooches was unearthed 1868 during rock-blasting in Rogart for the Sutherland railway line, when a workman found the collection of brooches in earth uncovered by the removal of a large boulder. Although the number in at the time place is unknown, two were passed on (the workman astutely gathered his findings and immediately took them from his workplace), via a store keeper in Alness, to a Mr. Macleod of Cadbeoll, who in 1870 displayed them to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.[4]

Both brooches are in the collection of the National Museum of Scotland.[7] The smaller brooch is of bronze and in poor condition having lost all its glass studs.[8][9] A third brooch from the find went to the collection of the then Duke of Sutherland and later to Dunrobin Castle.[4]

Description[]

Drawing of one of the sipping birds heads, 1881

The brooch is made from a flat band of sliver decorated with carved and alternating interlace patterns some of which are in gold,[10] and a head that is a quarter inch thick. The hoop is divided into four quadrants, each of which is decorated with interlace.[8] The bird-heads are rendered in full-relief (ie raised) and all inwards facing, fixed with rivets and lined with gold and given narrow eyes made from green glass.[8] They are placed both on the upper band of the ring and the quadrants of the two lozenge shaped semi-circular terminals.[8][11] These two terminals are c. an inch apart, and separated from both the ring-head and each other by raised borders lined with gold.[12]

The brooch is in relatively good condition; some of the settings for red glass and amber decorative studs in the head and terminals are missing. Its reverse is rather flat and unembellished.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ Youngs (1989), p. 156
  2. ^ The term "penannular" refers to the fact that the ring of its head contains a gap or opening. See Youngs (1989), p. 215
  3. ^ Youngs (1989), p. 108
  4. ^ a b c Anderson (1881), p. 6
  5. ^ Finlay (1999), p. 15
  6. ^ The hoard also included a smaller brooch (MNS FC1), also on the NMS (width: 7.7 cm x length:13.3 cm).
  7. ^ catalogues NMS FC1 & NMS FC2
  8. ^ a b c d e Youngs (1989), p. 116
  9. ^ "The Rogart Brooch". Rogart Heritage Society. Retrieved 19 November 2021
  10. ^ Anderson (1881), p. 7
  11. ^ Antiquaries of Scotland (1882), p. 493
  12. ^ Anderson (1881), p. 8

Sources[]

  • Anderson, Joseph. "Scotland In Early Christian Times (Second Series)". The Rhind Lectures in Archaeology for 1880. Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1881
  • Finlay, Ian. "Scottish Gold and Silver Work". Firebird Press, 1999. ISBN 978-1-5655-4559-5
  • Laing, Lloyd Robert. The archaeology of late Celtic Britain and Ireland, c. 400–1200 AD. Taylor & Francis, 1975. ISBN 978-0-416-82360-8
  • "Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland". Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1882
  • Youngs, Susan (ed). The Work of Angels: Masterpieces of Celtic Metalwork, 6th—9th centuries AD. London: British Museum Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-2927-9058-2

External links[]

Retrieved from ""