Tara Brooch
The Tara Brooch is one of the most substantial artistic finds in Celtic history and is thought to have been crafted in or around the year 700 A.D. It is seven inches in length and is made in a pseudo-penannular style. The handiwork involved in crafting this brooch was quite involved and shows a high level of skill, and it was likely made for a very wealthy person who wanted to display status; this individual was almost certainly a man.
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| Tara Brooch, National Museum of Ireland |
While the brooch was named after the Hill of Tara, historically looked upon as the seat of the High Kings of Ireland, the brooch has no ties to either the Hill or the High Kings. Instead, when it was found by a peasant woman and eventually sold to well-known Celtic Revival-era jewelry collector and dealer George Waterhouse, he named it as such to make it sound more attractive and appealing.
The beautiful brooch is crafted from precious metals and semi-precious stones, including gold, silver, copper, amber, and glass. Additionally, intricate filigree and inlaying is seen throughout the work. The advanced work seen in the brooch is a testament to the highly advanced goldsmith skills prevalent in Ireland at that period.
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