Bell Shrine of St. Cuileáin
Type:
Reliquaries,
Shrines
Date:
Late eleventh or twelfth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Ireland
Dimensions:
30 × 24 × 9.4 cm
Description:
This incomplete shrine, sometimes called the Barnaan-Cuilaw, encloses an inner bell from the seventh or eighth century. The copper alloy sheet on the front has an incised cross motif. The crest (top) is decorated with human heads and interlace motifs executed in inlaid silver, copper, enamel, and niello. It may have been made for the Glankeen Monastery, which St. Cuileáin founded in the seventh century. The inner bell may have belonged to St. Cuileáin himself.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
7
Repository and Online Resources:
• Read more about the bell shrine on the website of the British Museum.
• Learn about the Bell Shrine of St. Cuileáin on the website for A History of Ireland in 100 Objects.
Image Credits:
© Trustees of the British Museum
