Tara Brooch
Type:
Brooches
Date:
Early eighth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Ireland
Medium:
Silver,
Gilt-silver
Dimensions:
Diameter of 8.7 cm, not including the pin, which is 32 cm long
Description:
The Tara Brooch originally would have been used to secure a cloak, most likely on ceremonial occasions. Its head was sewn to the cloak, allowing the owner to fasten it by putting the pin through the brooch head and then wrapping the silver chain around the pin. The brooch has filigree panels blending human and animal forms with abstract scrolls and spirals. These figures and designs were created through the chip-carving technique that was common to Germanic metalwork of the period.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
4
Repository and Online Resources:
• The Tara Brooch is now on display in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin. Read more about it on the website for A History of Ireland in 100 Objects.
• See the sketch for a similar brooch incised on a piece of slate in Scotland.
Image Credits:
Flickr, Wikimedia Commons
