Thursday, January 7, 2016

Travelling Abroad Part Two

This week, Jennifer from the Jetteam, shares her photos of torcs from her adventure in Europe. You can see Jennifer's work in her shop, WearablebyDesign.


"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.

 
Jennifer
WearablebyDesign

 

 

13 comments :

capitalcitycrafts said...

I've seen some of these at the British Museum and they are incredible! Thanks for sharing!

jemsbyjb said...

Would love to own one of these beauties.

Unknown said...

Enjoyed all of your adventures... especially Poland and these historical finds. Very Interesting, Thanks :)

SendingLoveGallery said...

so fascinating! just amazing to see these designs from the past, which almost look contemporary~

Beadsme said...

Interesting. Wonder what the big one was for. Maybe tummy wear.

Keystring said...

Never knew about these! Thank you for sharing!

SatinDollCo said...

Thanks for sharing. Those pieces are amazing and great inspiration.

Gemstones on My Mind said...

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!

Brooke said...

Ancient jewelry! Love the spiral design, very lovely.

Mollie Ann said...

These torcs are fabulous, and I enjoyed learning about torc history! Thank you so much!

Gambatte said...

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!

Joepet said...

Wow! They are beautiful and amazing.

LoveStoneArts said...

Wow, those designs are captivating! Thank you for inspiring us with a peek into your travels!