That the goldsmith’s art was practised in England in the days of Alfred (871-900) we have evidence in the famous ring belonging to this king which is described on page 121. [Illustration: Fig. 136.—Shrine of St. Patrick’s Bell. (S.)] Another gold ring belonging to Ethelwulf, of the early ninth or eighth century, the enamelled vase or situla found in Essex, the golden altar of St. Ambrose at Milan, and the beautiful Irish chalice found at Ardagh have been described in the chapter on enamels, all of which show evidence of the great skill of the European goldsmiths from the seventh to the tenth centuries. [Illustration: Fig. 137.—The Tara Brooch. (S.)] [Illustration: Fig. 138.—Tara Brooch (reverse). (S.)] The tenth century was a barren one for Art in Europe, except in some of the monasteries of France, Italy, and in Ireland. In the latter country a great deal of good work was produced—in metals especially—in the ninth and tenth centuries. The amount of personal ornaments, such as torques or collars of gold, bracelets, brooches, belt-clasps, and croziers, shrines for sacred bells, and covers for the Gospels, that were wrought in gold, silver, or alloys must have been prodigious. The astonishing delicacy and intricacy of the Celtic ornamentation bear eloquent testimony to the great skill of the early Irish artists. [Illustration: Fig. 139.—Irish “Trumpet Pattern.”] The shrine of St. Patrick’s bell, or the bell of Armagh, is a splendid specimen of Irish art (Fig. 136). It forms the cover of the ancient square-mouthed iron bell that formerly belonged to the patron saint of Ireland, and is plated with silver-gilt ornamentation and gold filigree work in both high and low relief. The ornamentation is composed of twisted and interlacing scrolls and knot-work, with some elongated animal forms in the composition. It has crystals and coloured gems set in the angles and other places. The large central stone is set in imbricated work. There are five of these bells in Ireland and two in Scotland, but none of them are so fine as the St. Patrick bell. Another beautiful example of Irish metal work is the Tara brooch (Figs. 137 and 138). It is made of white metal, a hard bronze composed of tin and copper. [Illustration: Fig. 140.—Cumdach or Case of Molaise’s Gospels. (S.)] The gold and silver ornamentation on this brooch and on the Ardagh chalice are of the same style of design and workmanship, which would point out that these two fine examples of Irish art were made about the same date, perhaps anterior to the tenth century. The “trumpet pattern,” which is not found on Irish work after 1050, occurs on the reverse side of the Tara brooch (Fig. 138). The ornamentation is of an extraordinary beauty, both in variety of style and pattern and in the execution. It is riveted or fastened with pins and held by means of slender bars to the foundation. [Illustration: Fig. 141.—The Crozier of Clonmacnois. (S.)]