The
main questions we will be examining throughout our analysis are: Was
trichinopoly a specialized craft made by craftsmen or was it done in
the home? Was it a masculine or feminine
trade? And does the specific metal used affect the ease of production
of the trichinopoly pieces? Our reconstructions of trichinopoly
chains will be made from copper jewelery wire and silver-plated
jewelery wire, depending what is available in local craft stores and
within our range of affordability. We will be creating the chains
based on instruction from hobby jewelerymaker Katie Gibson, who is
experienced in 'viking knit', another name for the modern hobbyist
form of trichinopoly chains, using her supplies and equipment. The
main challenges we forsee in this project are the apparent lack of
documentation of the original process of making trichinopoly chains,
the low number of known samples of the chains, and the learning curve
involved in working with metal. We will be doing most of the
recreation work during the week of Congress at Uvic, while classes
are not in session. This will vary slightly depending on our
individual schedules, however we have each other's contact
information and can arrange meetings as needed.
Bellingham H 1906. Annual Address. Journal of County Louth
Archaeological Society 1(3): 5-14.
In his address to the County Louth Archaeological Society, Sir Henry
Bellingham discusses the Ardagh Chalice, an antiquity of interest to
the Irish reading audience. While Bellingham states that Ireland has
a particular interest in the preservation of relics discovered in the
region, it is the Ardagh Chalice that is of great interest to him.
Bellingham then goes on to discuss the chalice in detail, including
the design of the chalice, the metals used to manufacture the metal,
inscriptions and animal forms, and two silver wire chains thought to
be created by the process of Trichinopoly. Dated between the tenth
and the early eleventh century, Bellingham points to the chalice as a
motivational tool for continuing to study relics found within
Ireland. With regard to the project, this article is useful because
of its mention of Trichinopoly, its dating of the Ardagh Chalice, and
its relative location in Ireland which can help us place the practice
of Trichinopoly into a historical/archaeological context.
Petrie, G 1850-1853. On an Ancient Brooch found near Drogheda.
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 5: pp36-40
Dr. George Petrie discusses his find of an ancient brooch, or a
fibula, belonging a Mr. Waterhouse of Dame-street. Petrie describes
the brooch as consisting of two “peculiarities”; the brooch is
made of copper and tin alloys rather than bronze and has an attached
chain made of silver created by the process of Trichinopoly. These
peculiarities are important, as they were not found in any other
specimen at the time of this article’s publishing. Petrie goes on
to say that this type of brooch design may be associated with Celtic
art as well as the Moorish tribes of Africa and could also be
associated with Irish Antiquity. Petrie assigns the date of
manufacture between the eleventh and early twelfth century. Finally,
as the brooch is a piece of early Irish art, Petrie calls for the
brooch to be placed in a museum. This article is relevant to our
project not only for its mention of Trichinopoly, but also for its
mention of silver, which seems to be the metal of choice with regard
to its manufacture. This article also ties in with the others in
terms of dating and its location within Ireland.
Richardson, H 1980. Derrynavlan and Other Early Church Treasures.
The Journal of Royal Society of Antiquaries in Ireland 110:
92-115
In this paper, Richardson describes to finding of the Derrynavlan
treasure, which the author classifies as early Christian Irish art.
Richardson goes on to describe each of the treasures, providing
illustrations as well as historical context as to the manufacture and
the uses for each one. The Silver Scourge, discovered with the
Trewhiddle Chalice is of particular interest to our project, as it is
a silver chain created through Trichinopoly. Richardson goes on to
mention that Trichinopoly was also discovered at the base of Ardagh
Chalice and with the Tara Brooch. This article is useful to our
project because in addition to the dating of the artefact, the
historical discussion of art styles and manufacturing methods within
a historical context would be of help to us as well.
Somerville O 1993. Kite-Shaped Brooches. The Journal of Royal
Society of Antiquaries in Ireland 123: 59-101
Somerville compares and contrasts twelve different brooches,
discussing possible parallels in terms of style and construction, in
addition to determining which time period they may have been
manufactured in (Irish, Viking, Christian). Somerville discusses
each brooch in detail, including designs, inscriptions, measurements,
and manufacture methods, using illustrations to give a better idea of
what each brooch looks like. Finally, the author goes on the order
the brooches chronologically. A point of interest in the article is
the mention of Trichinopoly chains, which was discovered with the
number eleven brooch and may have been associated with a few others.
Somerville states that one of the Derrynavlan treasures, a paten,
also possessed a Trichinopoly chain, as was dated within the eighth
century. This article is important to our project because of its
dating of paten with the Trichinopoly chain and its implication that
knitted wire might have been used with other brooches as well.
Somerville also associates the brooch with other Trichinopoly-related
artefacts, which helps us with dating and with context.
-N'Donna and Dylyn
-N'Donna and Dylyn
