Presence Through Absence: Thresholds and Mimesis in Painting
Symbolism and Mimesis: New Perspectives on Insular Silver Dress Fasteners
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Symbolism and Mimesis: New Perspectives on Insular Silver Dress Fasteners Fiona Gavin National University of Ireland, Galway This research was facilitated by the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Transcript of Symbolism and Mimesis: New Perspectives on Insular Silver Dress Fasteners
Symbolism and Mimesis: New Perspectives
on Insular Silver Dress Fasteners
Fiona Gavin National University of
Ireland, GalwayThis research was facilitated by the Irish Research Council for the
Humanities and Social Sciences
Insular Projecting-headed Pins
Zoomorphic terminal, Caistor, Lincs. UK
Aulerci Eburovices La Tour 6909
Proto hand-pin Newtownbond, Co. Longford
Zoomorphic terminal, near Caistor, Lincs. Image courtesy of Dr. Kevin Leech
Hand Pin from Norrie’s Law, Fife with quatrefoil motif . Castletown Kilpatrick , Co Meath with tricorne
Images courtesy National Museum of Ireland and National Museums of Scotland
Aerial view of the surface of the cairn at Site B, Navan Fort, Co. Armagh showing radial divisions
Rayed star, spoked wheel, sunburst and rosette variants on proto hand-pins and hand-pins
(Top to bottom) (a) Gaulcross, Banffshire(b) Tripontium, Warwickshire(c) Long Sutton, Somerset.
a
b
c
Zoomorphic mount, Hillquarter, Co. Westmeath (NMI )
Penannular Brooch terminal River Brosna, Moytown Demense, Co. Offaly (NMI`1956:446)
Silver coin attributed to near Petersfield, Hampshire c. 10-2-AD.Image courtesy National Museum of Wales
Images Courtesy of Brian Wood
The Londesborough pin
Panels 5 (left) and 8 (right) are decorated with stylised vine/ivy motifs, combining symbols of leaf and fruit (grapes/berries).
Silver-gilt disc from Nordrhein-Westfalen, Köln
Proto hand-pin, Oldcroft,
Gloucestershire, England
Proto hand-pin, Castletown Kilpatrick,
Co. Meath
Five sacred trees or bile are named in the Dindsenchas, the ancient Tree of Tortu (Bile Tortan), the Yew of Ross (Eó Ruis), the Yew of Mugna (Eó Mugna), Dathi's Branch (Craeb Daithi) and the Ancient Tree of Uisnech (Bile Uisneg). One of these is the enormous evergreen oak that was said to grow on the plain of Mugna beside the River Barrow on the plain of Leinster. In addition to acorns, this wondrous tree was said to bear three different crops each year of ‘apples, goodly and marvellous, nuts, blood-red and round and acorns brown and ridgey’.
