"While in Europe I saw a few exhibits featuring Celtic and Scandinavian hoards. I was certainly drawn to the torcs and thought others might enjoy seeing what I saw!"
Torcs are neckwear popular in many places in the Western
World and throughout several historical periods. They are made of metal generally, and are
semi-permanent – meaning they are difficult to put on and off and therefore
usually kept around the neck. They are
thought to make reference to a person’s status within a tribe, and be a version
of portable wealth. They were worn by
men, women, warriors, statesmen, children and statues and come in many sizes
and styles.
Most of the torcs seen today have been found in burial sites
, but more often found in buried hoards.
It is unknown if they were buried as offerings or (more likely) were
secreted away in times of conflict. Some
hoards seem to have been part of a workshop specializing in the making of torcs
as they appear to be in mid manufacture when they were found.
Most torcs are of a spiral style that are tapered at each
end and close with a simple hook and eye. In the early Bronze Age, torcs were made of bronze, but later, they were
made of gold or silver. This twisted
spiral type was usually made in the lost wax method of casting. A variation on the twisted spiral was twisted
wire bundles where casting was not necessary to create the torc.
The above torc was so large it is doubtful it was worn
around the neck of a person. It is an
excellent example of a wire torc.
Some torcs are highly decorated and use a variety of
techniques to create. Many have terminal
ends rather than a simple hook and eye.
These silver torcs look nearly modern to our eye. They were created as an extremely heavy chain
and were approximately 12 inches in diameter.
I’m sure they were quite heavy.
I hope you enjoyed seeing the beauty and luxury of the
peoples of the ancient past.
WearablebyDesign
13 comments :
I've seen some of these at the British Museum and they are incredible! Thanks for sharing!
Would love to own one of these beauties.
Enjoyed all of your adventures... especially Poland and these historical finds. Very Interesting, Thanks :)
so fascinating! just amazing to see these designs from the past, which almost look contemporary~
Interesting. Wonder what the big one was for. Maybe tummy wear.
Never knew about these! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for sharing. Those pieces are amazing and great inspiration.
Wow, I especially like the first ones, they had an elegant look about them. Thanks for sharing, that must have been quite an interesting adventure!
Ancient jewelry! Love the spiral design, very lovely.
These torcs are fabulous, and I enjoyed learning about torc history! Thank you so much!
I'm a big fan of Celtic lore and loved reading more about the torc history! Thanks so much for sharing with us! You got to see some amazing pieces!
Wow! They are beautiful and amazing.
Wow, those designs are captivating! Thank you for inspiring us with a peek into your travels!
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