A history of Ireland in 100 objects
09.02.12
The slave chain we featured last week is at the brutal end of the spectrum of Viking Ireland. This gorgeous cone of woven
silver thread is, physically and symbolically, at the other extreme.
Silver cone, mid 10th century. There are
three separate strands of
silver, each composed of between 15 and 18 wires. There are traces of some kind of organic material inside the cone, probably a wax shape around which the wires were woven. Yet, Halpin says, it is very hard to find where all these wires end. “When I look at this,” says Andy Halpin of the National Museum of Ireland, “the first question that comes to my mind is, How do you make it. From a technological point of view, it’s an extraordinary thing. The visual effect is that of a single thread turning endlessly around itself.
Source: Irish Times
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