Ireland is a small island with a relatively small population if you take the world as a whole, but we have thousands of years of history which left behind a vast treasury of gems from the past. I am particularly fascinated with the ancient Celts. They had a very close relationship with nature, followed the seasons, and found meaning in everything from a trinity knot to a grove of ash trees. They were also amazing craftspeople and made incredible jewellery (among other things!)- their workmanship and attention to detail never fails to awe me everytime I see it. It is from the ancient Celts that I draw inspiration for my latest experiment with different techniques. A torc was a piece of jewellery originally worn only by men but over time were also worn by women too.
Torc collar in the La Téne style, discovered in Broighter, Co. Derry in 1896
Gorget (collar) found at Glenisheen, Co.Clare
Early Celtic decorative torc, 1st few centuries BC
It is said that men wore them traditionally as part of battle dress- not just as decoration but also to stop a bladefrom severing their head from it's rightful place! How true that is I am not 100% certain but what is known is that torcs were an indication of wealth and rank. Those with wealth tended to wear silver and gold, and those without wore torcs made with iron.
My interpretation of a torc is lighter and made with silver wire and dyed apple green jasper. On the right side of it I shaped the wire into a trinity knot, and the left are 2 simple spirals. The trinity knot has a few different meanings- depending on who you talk to or what you read, but from what I gather it can mean anything from ''past, present, future'' to ''mind, body, spirit'', and the spirals represent expansion of energy and consciousness..
But have a look- see what you think!
My interpretation of a torc- by Jen Doyle
