Pictish Hunting Leather Carving

[Dreadhead]

Hi folks,

Getting ready for another market I have this weekend in Dumfires, I decided I needed a new banner for my stall so knocked this up this week. It's about 70X80 cm, made from 4mm veg tan cowhide. Hand carved with Pictish hunting scenes from the Elgin and Shandwick stones here in Scotland I'm hoping it will kindle peoples interest in Pictish culture as these carvings really show the sophistication of the Picts, and puts the lie that they were mindless barbarians to bed. It's my goal to recreate as many Pictish carvings as possible and bring them back to life in leather

Half-Goat Leatherwork Pictish Banner by Hamish Odinson, on Flickr

Half-Goat Leatherwork Pictish Banner Detail by Hamish Odinson, on Flickr

Pretty chuffed overall. May do another 'viking' one at somepoint with norse carvings. But this will do for now. Thanks for looking

 

[crosslandkelly]

Lovely work Hamish. Are they your own designs, or did you base them on something?

 

[Dreadhead]

Lovely work Hamish. Are they your own designs, or did you base them on something?

cheers Colin. As I wrote above, they are ancient carvings from Pictish stones. Two are from the Elgin stone, and one is from the Shandwick stone

 

[boatman]

Very nice work but who said the Picts were mindless barbarians?

 

[21st century pict]

Nice work Hamish. A first class class II, "you know what I mean" Ill have to have a trip round to the Cathedral for another look now.

Very nice work but who said the Picts were mindless barbarians?

probably the Romans.

Do you think that hoodie wee the crossbow is poaching ;-)

 

[Goatboy]

Lovely work Hamish, that should draw the crowds to you from across the fairground. The designs lend themselves to your skills well, they like you were great craftsmen. Being brought up near some of the stones I grew up finding them beautiful and wanting to know more of the people who carved them. Unluckily not nearly enough is known about them or indeed understood of what little we have left.
Brilliant stuff mate and good luck at the shows.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Macaroon]

That's a great banner, Hamish, I'm sure that'll generate a lot of interest in those who see it; lovely work

 

[Muddypaws]

They look great! Those Pictish designs really seem to lend themselves well to leather - maybe there was a half Pict half goat back in the day carving those designs into leather, but unfortunately none has survived.

I like Pictish art, and have seen the Shandwick stone, and you have captured the essence of the designs to perfection!

 

[crosslandkelly]

cheers Colin. As I wrote above, they are ancient carvings from Pictish stones. Two are from the Elgin stone, and one is from the Shandwick stone

Doh!!Read the post properly. Sorry Hamish.

 

[Dreadhead]

thanks for the kind words everyone

Whenever I bring up the picts with people straight away they ask something along the lines "you mean the scots that fought naked against the romans?". I love these carvings as they show the sculpted hair and beard styles, and some detail in clothing even the metalwork on the end of the sword scabbards. And the fact the horses are at canter rather than full gallop shows that the carvings were well thought out to show their lords looking regal. Not to mention the crossbow the hunter is using

 

[sunndog]

Beautiful mate

I bet you get loads of people touching it just see if its actually carved leather or a print lol

 

[topknot]

That is tops mate.

Topknot

 

[richardhomer]

Lovely work mate. Looks really good

 

[mrcharly]

I hadn't realised the crossbow was in use so early on.

Lovely work.

 

[Angst]

pure snazzliness dude!

 

[21st century pict]

I hadn't realised the crossbow was in use so early on.

Lovely work.

Just a quick side note on crossbows.
The class II Pictish stones Hamish recreated in leather originally dates to around the 8th or 9th Century, the crossbow was in use well over a thousand years prior to that.

 

[TinkyPete]

Great work Hamish looks awesome and a nice standard for the stall

 

[John Fenna]

Great work - I love pictish art

 

[sunndog]

Have you done any pictish decoration on your more normal leatherwork?. A quick google image search turned up some really cool boar and wolf pics

 

[Wayland]

Nice job Hamish.