Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron AgeAnderson, Joseph
History
Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron Age
Anderson, Joseph
Scotland -- Antiquities
About the year 1820 a singular object was found in a morass on the farm
of Torrs, in the parish of Kelton, Kirkcudbrightshire. Having passed
into the possession of Mr. Joseph Train, it was presented by him to Sir
Walter Scott, and it still remains in the Museum at Abbotsford.[55] It
is of the form of an elongated mask (Fig. 92), somewhat resembling the
frontal of a horse. It measures 10½ inches in total length, but the tip
is apparently imperfect. Its breadth in a straight line across the lower
margin is 3⅝ inches, and about 8½ inches on the round outside. Its
greatest breadth in a straight line across the back is 6 inches, and 11
inches on the round outside, immediately above the insertion of the
horns. At a height of 3 inches above the lower straight margin are
placed two circular holes, one on each side, each measuring 2 inches in
diameter. From between these eyelike holes, and a little above the level
of their centres, two curiously curved, cylindrical, tapering horns
spring close together on either side of the median line. The diameter of
each of the horns at the base is 1⅜ inch, and they rise to a height of
8¾ inches to the top of the curve, the whole length of the perfect horns
along the curve of the outer edge being 16½ inches. The horns are
hollow, the whole object being formed of thin beaten bronze.
-----
Footnote 55:
This and many of the other objects referred to in this Lecture have
been described in the _Proceedings_ of the Society of Antiquaries of
Scotland by Dr. John Alexander Smith, who has specially illustrated
the interesting relics which I regard as belonging to the closing
period of Scotland’s Paganism. They have been referred by Mr. Franks
and others to a special school of art which they have denominated the
“Late Celtic,” but from my point of view I must regard them as the
work of the early Celtic school, which was the precursor and parent of
the greater school of Celtic art of the Christian time which I have
already described.
-----
[Illustration: Fig. 92.—Bronze object found at Torrs, Kirkcudbrightshire
(10½ inches in length).]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account