The Duleek Cross - Vintage Irish 9K Gold Celtic Engraved Cross Pendant & Chain (VP313)

The Duleek Cross - Vintage Irish 9K Gold Engraved Celtic Cross Pendant & Chain.  This wonderful pendant is crafted from 9K gold, hallmarked 375 for 9K on the back of the pendant, and Duleek. Whilst the bale is hallmarked with a 10K(417) European hallmark. The chain is also hallmarked 10KT for 10K gold. The pendant features a wonderful Celtic ancient revival design from 800 AD, and quality craftsmanship. The shape and design of this cross is beautiful. It has dimension, and lovely deep engravings of ancient Celtic figures. Whilst the back has the date 800 AD when this cross was originally carved of stone, and full hallmarks, including makers initials TJH. The cross has been matched up to a vintage 10K gold box chain, which has a spring ring clasp in perfect working order.  This vintage era cross is very collectible, truly a very special piece to be cherished for many years to come. 

Comments: Wonderful crisp engravings, and detail on this cross. 

History: The Celts were a collection of tribes with origins in central Europe that shared a similar language, religious beliefs, traditions and culture. It is believed that the Celtic culture started yo evolve as early as 1200 B.C. 

Celtic refers to a family of languages and, more generally "of the Celts" or "in the style of the Celts". Today the term Celtic generally refers to the languages and respective cultures of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, and Brittany, also known as the Celtic nations. 

Duleek was an important ecclesiastical centre in the early Christian centuries and its Cross is unusual and very interesting. It was founded by St.Ciaran (or Kennean) who was himself baptized by St.Patrick in 472A.D. Here he built the first stone church recorded in Ireland. The name of the town comes from the Irish daimh liag, a house of stones. The center grew and flourished for more than 700 years and aerial photographs of the town show how the ecclesiastical boundaries still impose themselves on the street plan today.

Duleek became as important as Armagh, or Clonard or Clonmacnoise and included hospitals, alm houses and sanctuaries. It was a resting place for the bodies of Brian Boru and his son - in law where they lay in state on their way to burial in Armagh in 1014 after the battle of Clontarf. later an Augustinian priory was set up there by the O'Kelly family. When the Norman, Hugh de Lacy built himself a castle nearby, he granted the Church of St. Ciaran to the Augustinians of Gloucestershire in 1180. The Normans had themselves pillaged the Priory a few years earlier.

The unusual feature of the High Cross is that one face, the East face, is completely covered in Celtic curvilinear and geometric designs. At the bottom on the West face there is a scene with three figures which may be the holy family or it may be the presentation of our Lord in the Temple. Above are two panels each with two figures facing, one with hands clasped, one with hands raised, at the center is a Crucifixion scene and at the top of the cross a scene from the story of the monastery. It seems that St.Adamnon visited the tomb of St.Ciaran's body lay uncorrupted. He broke the rule and touched the body and his eye was struck out. Later as he fasted as a penance his eye was miraculously restored.

The top panel shows the restoration. On the East face there appears to be a symbolic vine, while the center shows a design with seven bosses. Scholars now realize that the early Irish artists, whatever their medium constructed everything with meaning and exactitude (Hilary Richardson, 1984). They took over, it would seem, the designs of the Celts and developed a new symbolic language using design and the symbolism of numbers to convey the Christian message.

Gold was generally used for a couple thousand years solely to create things such as jewelry and idols for worship. This was until around 1500 BC when the ancient empire of Egypt, which benefited greatly from its gold-bearing region, Nubia, made gold the first official medium of exchange for international trade.

Measurements: Pendant (including bale)  32.50 mm x 14.00 mm      Chain: 18"

Weight: 2.70 grams 

Condition: Excellent 

Origin: Cross: Ireland    Chain: Canada 

Date: Circa 1980