Summary

One of two parts of a bell shrine mount, bronze inlaid with silver and neillo, with Celtic interlace, the ends were formed as three-dimensional animals, with lentoid eyes and swirling tendrils, from Inchaffray Abbey, Perthshire, 1000 - 1200 AD

Accession Number

X.KA 32 A

Other references

Original description

[One piece of a] Bell shrine mount of bronze from Inchaffrey with Celtic interlace, broken in two pieces, (handle?). SCRAN Caption record 1997-04-25: This is a detail of the end of a bronze mount for a bell shrine found at Inchaffray Abbey in Perthshire. The site was once an island, on which an abbey was founded in 1200. This shrine is earlier, dating from between 1000 and 1200. DESCRIPTION - The bell shrine mount was broken into two pieces. This picture shows one of them, comprised of the end of the mount. The ends were formed as three-dimensional animals, with lentoid eyes and swirling tendrils. BACKGROUND - The Scandinavian settlement in the British Isles resulted in a fusion of some art styles and jewellery. The Scandinavian Ringerike art style, with its characteristic tendrils, was absorbed by the Irish, and even used on religious objects such as this one. DETAILS - Date: Between 1000 and 1200 Material: Bronze, silver, niello Dimensions: Length of complete mount: around 32 cm REFERENCES - Graham-Campbell, James and Batey, Colleen E. Vikings in Scotland. An Archaeological Survey. Edinburgh: University Press, 1998, p 103.

Associated person/people (e.g. excavator/former collection)

None

Discovery / field collection

Date of discovery

Not recorded

Method (e.g. excavation)

Not recorded

Place (i.e. location of discovery)

Inchaffray Abbey, Inchaffray, Perthshire, Scotland, Northern Europe

Grid reference

Not recorded

Acquisition

Acquisition date

Not recorded

Acquisition source (i.e. name of donor)

Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer

Acquisition source role (e.g. donor)

Agent

Image