Shrine of Saint Lachtin's Arm

In the pictureThis is a cylindrical arm reliquary lying lengthwise. The silver hand at the left end has its fingers curled into a fist; each finger is divided into compartments with engraved patterns, and a patterned band circles the wrist. The forearm is covered all over its gold ground with fine, dense knotwork; a gold band with round bosses runs along its length, and a wide band of pierced interlace circles the middle. The ring at the right end is set with red and blue stones, and a round crystal rises at the very tip. A long shadow falls beneath the cylinder.

BackgroundThe Met's record dates it "early 20th century (original dated 1106)," so this too is a replica that entered the collection in 1908 through the Rogers Fund. The original is said to have held the arm relic of Lachtin, a 7th-century Irish saint. It is the same length as the shrine of Saint Patrick's hand, 38.7cm, but at just over 7cm thick it is much slimmer, and unlike that one, with its raised fingers, this hand is clenched and held straight. The knotwork covering the surface is regarded as characteristic of early 12th-century Irish metalwork influenced by Viking art.

Puzzle tipThe image is very wide, so the pieces are flat and the gray background above and below is broad. Fix the two ends first with the silver fist at the left and the jeweled ring at the right, then use the lengthwise gold band as a guideline to connect through to the interlace band in the middle. The knotwork pieces look alike, so judge their position by their distance from the gold band. The crystal at the right end catches the light and looks like a white dot, a good landmark. Fill the background starting from the shadow side. 48 pieces is a good fit.