The making of "The Whitby Brooch"

[Goatboy]

Stunning work Wayland, show's you're worthy of your namesakes moniker. As others have said your reworking works better (well to these modern eyes anyway.)
Your camp looks wonderful as ever. Folk often say that those times were grey and dull, but the tones and honey'd hues in your set up appeal to my eyes. (But then you're also an accomplished photographer.)
I was expecting something made out of jet when I read the title but was pleasantly surprised to see my favourite metal being worked.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Wayland]

That's really good. Have you inscribed the back?
I can easily imagine that the original was a bit wonky because the craftsman was a bit long-sighted himself.
Z

I've done a simple chiselled runic inscription on the pin plate. I had to reconstruct that using evidence from other pieces because as you can see it was partially missing on the original.

It simply says that I made and keep it. The original "runes" were fake by the way. Cut by someone perhaps trying to imitate runes he had seen but did not understand.

I'm considering engraving a fuller inscription round the edge but that would be new territory for me, not done much engraving and it's a very different skill.

The original inscription is intriguing. It's usually interpreted as 'Ædwen owns me, may the Lord own her. May the Lord curse him who takes me from her, unless she gives me of her own free will'.

To me, it looks as if it's in another hand, rather more precise.

Normally we don't know much about who owned these things so that's interesting in itself but the curse has always made me ponder as it was found in a hoard, buried by someone that did not return to collect it.

Given that the pin plate was damaged, perhaps by being forcibly removed from the cloth it was attached to. I can't help wondering what happened to the person that took it.

 

[Wayland]

Stunning work Wayland, show's you're worthy of your namesakes moniker. As others have said your reworking works better (well to these modern eyes anyway.)
Your camp looks wonderful as ever. Folk often say that those times were grey and dull, but the tones and honey'd hues in your set up appeal to my eyes. (But then you're also an accomplished photographer.)
I was expecting something made out of jet when I read the title but was pleasantly surprised to see my favourite metal being worked.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

It was doing this sort of work that earned me the name "Wayland" in the first place. That and the fact that my surname coincidentally matches the myth as well. (Wayland the Smith was the son of a giant called Wade.)

The Vikings and Saxons loved decoration so I see no reason they would have shunned colour which they had many ways of creating.

We call the "everything was brown" misconception the "Jabberwocky Effect" after Terry Gilliam's film where everything seems to be covered in mud.

Funnily enough I did get a couple of pieces of jet to have a play with. You might see more of that later but don't hold your breath.

 

[Clouston98]

Fantastic stuff! The brooch looks great and the event looks cracking too!

 

[Wayland]

I have to admit I did enjoy myself.

I've been away from such events far too long, busy with the business but hope to get to a lot more in the future.

 

[Chiseller]

That looks grand, you're skill set is a gift to all 👍

 

[Wayland]

I just have a go and hope for the best..

 

[Dreadhead]

Good luck over there, I'm sure you'll love it.

Which market are you going too?

Thanks Gudvangen, near Flåm.

 

[Wayland]

Say Hi to Georg for me, he's one of the head honcho's out there that I've known for years.

It's a stunning location by the way. It'll take your breath away.

 

[Dreadhead]

Say Hi to Georg for me, he's one of the head honcho's out there that I've known for years.

It's a stunning location by the way. It'll take your breath away.

Will do, and it sure is. Spent a couple months living there last year, and was asked to come back this year, looking forward to going back

 

[badoosh]

Love your posts as I always learn something new.
Cheers

 

[John Fenna]

Stunning work - as ever!

 

[milius2]

Clearly a masters work! Though you might not think that good, but it's just wonderful piece.

 

[richardhomer]

Stunning Brooch mate!
And cracking photos too.

 

[Dogoak]

Excellent workmanship Garry, thanks for sharing.

 

[JohnC]

Very nice work!!

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/germany-nrw-dortmund-the-spectaculum-from-medieval-times-news-photo/549414823

I'd struggle without glasses for fine work...

 

[didicoy]

Fascinating, I could spend hours just asking you questions about your display.

 

[Robson Valley]

We have a challenging expression here: "If you can talk the talk, can you walk the walk?" ( = Enough noise. Can you do it?)
It is wonderful to see that there are modern people with the skills and experience to do this kind of smithing. It's all there for me.

 

[Wayland]

Very nice work!!

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/germany-nrw-dortmund-the-spectaculum-from-medieval-times-news-photo/549414823

I'd struggle without glasses for fine work...

Regretably spectacles such as those are historically a little too late for the Viking period.

I do sometime resort to a magnifying glass though which has some provenance.

Although the lenses that have been found were made of rock crystal.

 

[Monikieman]

I love that magnifying glass