I attended the opening of the British Museum’s, Celts: Art and Identity exhibit on Sept 24th. It showcases stunning art, jewellery, weaponry, daily and religious objects to tell the story of the Celtic people.
10 Cool Medieval Things to See at the Musée de Cluny
February 5, 2015 By
I just visited Muée de Cluny this week while in Paris and picked out a few fabulous items you might want to check out on your next visit to this amazing medieval museum!
Anglo-Saxon smiths and myths
September 1, 2014 By
Knowledge of the metalworking and jewellery-making abilities of the Anglo-Saxons has been much enhanced in recent years by metallurgical and other technical studies.
A Medieval Jewellery Set from the British Museum
April 27, 2014 By
Sue Brunning of the British Museum talks about a medieval jewellery set you can see at their new Early Medieval gallery.
Zoomorphic Penannular Brooches in 6th and 7th Century Ireland
January 6, 2014 By
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 Weight of Necklaces: Some insights into the wearing of women’s jewellery from Middle Saxon written sources
November 24, 2013 By
Extracts from Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, and other contemporary Anglo-Saxon and Frankish sources concerning queens and princesses who went into the church, show that these authors were aware that in the seventh century necklaces could be an important part of the identity of high status women.
Medieval Byzantine Magical Amulets and Their Tradition
November 24, 2013 By
A diverse yet distinctive group of magical amulets has periodically attracted the attention of scholars from Renaissance times to the present. The amulets take many forms, including engraved gems and cameos, enamel pendants, die-struck bronze tokens, cast or engraved pendants of gold, silver, bronze, and lead, and rings of silver and bronze.
‘Al ful of fresshe floures whyte and reede’: The Jewellery of Margaret of York and Its Meaning
October 8, 2013 By
The collier shown in the Louvre portrait appears to be made of gold and enamel, and is almost exclusively set with pearls.
Scandinavian late Viking Age art styles as a part of the visual display of warriors in 11th-century Estonia
February 24, 2013 By
Artefacts decorated in Scandinavian Late Viking Age art styles have been known for a long time in the Estonian archaeological material, and were first published as early as 1914 by Max Ebert; a more comprehensive overview was given in 1929 by Birger Nerman. The finds include silver-plated and sometimes partially gilded weapons, as well as belt and scabbard fittings, plaques, and only a few pieces of jewellery.
In Heaven and on Earth: Church Treasure in Late Medieval Bohemia
August 15, 2012 By
My work, thus, focuses on the intellectual concepts and practical policies involved in the development of treasuries in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Bohemia. It oscillates between three main disciplines of history: art, religious, and cultural history.
Emeralds, sapphires, pearls and other gemmological materials from the Preslav gold treasure (X century) in Bulgaria
August 5, 2012 By
The medieval settlement of Preslav (now Veliki Preslav) was founded during the VIII to IX century. It has been proclaimed the second capital of Bulgaria in 893 and is related to the reign of Tsar Simeon the Great.
Looking a medieval gift horse in the mouth. The role of the giving of gift objects in the definition and maintenance of the power networks of Philip the Bold
June 13, 2012 By
Guenée dubbed the late fourteenth century le temps des alliances’, pointing to the effect on politics and administration in France of visible, recognised networks. These might be based on kinship, marriage and godparenting, where the obligations were well understood, but not necessarily written down
Miracle or Magic? The Problematic Status of Christian Amulet
December 7, 2011 By
The Church Fathers and intellectuals made the distinction between the miracle of the relics and sacred words of the Bible, verba sacra….
Byzantines, Goths and Lombards in Italy: Jewellery, Dress and Cultural Interactions
December 5, 2011 By
The temptation is naturally to seek differences or contrasts from one power to another, to reinforce the conflict and tension identified in contemporary historians.
‘Temple Pendants’ in Medieval Rus’: How were they Worn?
November 20, 2011 By
A useful contribution towards the understanding of the wearing practices of Byzantine and other medieval ear ornaments is supplied by archaeological evidence from the territory of medieval Rus.
Byzantine Jewellery? Amethyst Beads in East and West during the Early Byzantine Period
September 25, 2011 By
Byzantine Jewellery? Amethyst Beads in East and West during the Early Byzantine Period Drauschke, Jörg “Intelligible Beauty”: Recent Research on Byzantine Jewellery, (London, 2010) Abstract Precious stones are an integral part of Byzantine jewellery throughout the life of Byzantine culture. This contribution focuses on the time-span between the 5th and the 7th centuries; thus a snapshot from […]
A Study of Cross-Hatched Gold Foils in Anglo-Saxon Jewellery
January 3, 2011 By
A Study of Cross-Hatched Gold Foils in Anglo-Saxon Jewellery By Richard Avent and David Leigh Medieval Archaeology, Vol.21 (1977) Introduction: In the last few years interest has focused increasingly on various aspects of the manufacture of migration period and early medieval jewellery. The gold content of this jewellery has been the subject of chemical analyses, […]
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