If you remember the Bronze Age CAULDRON

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If you remember the Bronze Age CAULDRON?, and its RIVETED pieces?, then you will now be able to compare it to this Iron Age pot. Here we have a Pot made from a single piece, which has been RAISED, and PLANISHED into shape. It has a very similar appearance to the earlier one, but obviously has a more sophisticated appearance, i.e. much cleaner lines. The handle, is designed to FIT ones hand, ( ERGONOMIC ), and is modelled on an ANIMAL / BIRDS head. This was made separately, and then SOLDERED to the BOWL, and apart from a ROPE design on its RIM, lacks any other Decoration. The EARLIER pot / CAULDRON, was purely FUNCTIONAL, where as here, the object is DESIGNED to be BOTH FUNCTIONAL and DECORATIVE.

" CELTIC DESIGN ", as we know it today, was used in both METALWORKING and STONE CARVING . This example of a Shield, ( from ENGLAND ), is a CLASSIC of its KIND, and displays ALL of the ELEMENT'S involved. Each DESIGN, and each piece of the DESIGN is a REPEAT of itself . Draw a line through the CENTRE of the Design both VERTICALLY and HORIZONTALLY and the " MIRROR " effect becomes apparent, even to the ENAMELLED BOSSE'S which occupy the CENTRAL POINTS of each REPOUSSED / RAISED, CURVILINEAR DESIGN. Of course Metalworking was not confined to GOLD work. BRONZE METAL WORKING continued on at the same time, but was now used in the production of more USEFUL objects.

The BRONZE BOAR is an example of the CASTING technique we saw during the BRONZE Age. Here the IRON Age metalworkers are working in 3 DIMENSIONS. The Artists / Craftsmen are beginning to observe NATURE, Whether this " OBJECT " is meant to act as a " good luck charm " for a hunter, or is simply a Child's toy , is debateable.

The Bronze HORNS / TRÚMPE are highly ENGINEERED objects, and were used both on CEREMONIAL and other occasions. They were ( and still can be played ), in a similar way to the ABORIGINAL DIDGERIDOO, i.e. all notes are produced using your breath and lips, ( as there are no holes provided which could help produce each note as in the modern FLUTE, or Trumpet ). They are meant to be held upright when played, and are very LIGHT WEIGHT. The DECORATED DISC on the sound END of the INSTRUMENT has the FUNCTION of EXPANDING the sound produced, and due to recent research, ( see ARCHAEOLOGY IRELAND Autumn 2000), the sound carries for great distances. It was obviously formed from a Tubular piece/s of Bronze rolled and beaten into shape, and soldered. These" TRUMPETS ", had a specific function, e.g. calling to battle / a CLAN meeting / ceremony etc., and were not just DECORATIVE OBJECTS as supposed, up to recently. (Pic. Arch. Ireland <<< Autumn 2000).