Cailleach Dhe ingen Chiarain — Norway Chain and Bead Set

• Name: TH Lady Cailleach Dhe ingen Chiarain
• Title of your Project: 9^th-10^th Century Norway Chain and Bead Set
• Location: Barony of Buckland Cross
• East Kingdom Wiki Link:  https://wiki.eastkingdom.org/wiki/Cailleach_Dh%C3%A9_ingen_Chiar%C3%A1in
• Website/Blog Link: https://kldriscoll.wixsite.com/cailleachdhe
• Category: Glasswork; Lampworked glass

As many of us who enjoy historical artwork do, I was scrolling through random Pinterest pages one evening where sleep eluded me. I enjoy traipsing through an endless stream of ancient beads, chainmaille bits, “Viking bling”, as I’m intrigued as to how these items were brought to life, using tools and materials that were nothing like what we use now. Every once in a while, I come across an extant find that haunts me with its beauty. I was entranced.

This strand, dating to the 9th or 10th century was one of them. It was found in a woman’s grave, in Granvin, Norway. I dug through the ether until I found where this extant piece was housed: The University Museum in Bergen (UNIMUS). From that point, I was able to access details about this piece, including the archaeologists report and an extraordinary high-resolution photograph of my beloved strand!

I painstakingly measured each component using a scaled photograph: the glass beads themselves, the holes in the beads, the gauge of the wire of each ring, the size of each ring, and the pendants or talismans.

I created this piece in its entirety, coldworking my metal, and lampworking the beads, with the intent of replicating this strand exactly in shape, size and color, though without the environmental degradation that may have happened over centuries. While there was information in the excavation report on brooches found within this same grave, it states this strand as a “necklace”. It is unknown if this strand was worn dangling between the brooches, or if it may have been a necklace, where the material used to hang it was disintegrated.

For further information please read my complete documentation here: https://kldriscoll.wixsite.com/cailleachdhe/documentation-pennsic-warpoint-li