A magnified brooch

The Tara brooch is an amazing treasure of Irish early medieval art. It is 8.7cm in diameter with a pin over 25cm long. Made of silver, covered in gold, it is decorated on both sides. On this face the metalworker decorated the brooch with interlace and animal designs in incredibly fine, gold, filigree wire. There are also amber, enamel and glass settings.

It is not clear why George Bain drew this magnified interpretation of the Tara brooch. It may have been for use with students or to illustrate one of his lectures. Perhaps it was his research before creating the greetings card that features this piece. The accuracy suggests that he must have worked from a drawing or photograph of the brooch in a reference book.

As often in his teaching aids Bain provides a guide to the actual size of the original.  His marginal pencil annotations are also interesting as they illustrate his working methods. The detail of the beast’s head to to the left of the brooch is a particular example.