Crozier of Saint Mura, of Fahan, County Donegal
The head of an Irish bishop's crozier covered with knotwork bronze plates: an early 20th-century replica of the 7th-century crozier of Saint Mura. Full commentary ↓
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Crozier of Saint Mura, of Fahan, County Donegal is a stone object by an unknown maker (early 20th century (original dated 7th century)) in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It measures 123.2 × 4.5 × 15.9 cm.
In the pictureThe head of the staff, bent like a hook, is shown up close. The bronze surface is covered with plates engraved with Celtic knotwork, the end of the hook takes the form of an animal head, and there is a round ornament on the grip below. Traces of silver and gemstones can be seen.
BackgroundSaint Mura was a 7th-century abbot in Donegal, Ireland, and his crozier was kept for generations by a family of hereditary keepers and used to guarantee oaths. The Irish relics on this site are not originals but precise replicas made in Dublin in the early 20th century, produced to make Ireland's national treasures known to the world, and they came to the museum in that form. Celtic knotwork is the hallmark of Irish metalwork.
Puzzle tipThe curved outline of the hook stands out clearly against the pale background. Fit the animal-head tip and the round ornament pieces at the bottom first, then join the knotwork plate pieces by the direction of the pattern. 48 pieces works well.
- Culture
- Irish
- Classification
- Reproductions-Metalwork
- Medium
- Bronze, silver, gem stones
- Dimensions
- 123.2 x 4.5 x 15.9 cm
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1908
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art ↗
Stories about this work
- Why Did the Museum Buy Reproductions of Irish Reliquaries?
The Irish shrines and croziers on this site are not originals but reproductions made in the early 20th century. Why reproductions entered the museum, and tips for solving them as puzzles.
