[Tidbits] Spanish Gold Brooch

Well. for those of you who tend to embrace redundancy. I’m at it
again. Let us trek back shall we. to circa 3rd century BCE. Spain.
for those who gleaned little from the title. Classical workmanship is
being served. together with some Celtic themes. We have an Iberian
warrior fighting naked. bracing himself against the arch of our
brooch which seems to be sculpted in the form of a wolf.

Our warrior wears only a large La Tene style shield and a belt for
his sword. He is fighting a raging lion on the attack. The lion whose
tail–as if happens–is also being devoured by two wolf type
creatures. each gulping down the lions tail from either end. This–my
friends–is a tale of a tail to be remembered.

As to the redundancy part of this whole thing. it’s all about the
artistry that I encounter whenever I delve into the works of long
gone jewelers and metalsmiths. It’s an exercise of remembrances of a
time past. Proust anyone–though I do tend to paraphrase a tad. These
old things. much like us old things. are pretty nice for their age.
Though if truth be told. I do not know a single soul who likes to
hear: “You look really good. for your age.”

Want a little edumacation? La Tene represented a new style of art
that was named after a Swiss site of the same name which was
discovered by the Celts in their quest to broaden their trade routes.
It was during that era that Celtic civilization reached its peak and
from then till now La T=ene artwork has been recovered from the
British Isles to the Iberian Peninsula and to Asia Minor.

And then. as often happens to civilizations that get too big for
their britches and who think it’s their way or the highway. who
indulge in war after war due to–among other things–self-elevating
illusions of entitlement. the Celts and their culture by circa 500CE
had virtually evanesced into the mists of self-importance. Let us all
bow our heads and give thanks that this type of mentality no longer
exists in our world. Anybody wanna buy a bridge?

Well. that’s it my friends. Finis pour aujourd’hui. So. who out there
would like to see a gold Spanish brooch probably made by an ancient
Celtic jeweler who might quite easily have been named Baenjigus
McMarkigan and might even have the blood of my ancestors flowing
through his veins. You all know where. right? My home page:
http://www.tyler-adam.com. Scroll down. Left side menu. Current
Tidbits. Click. And there will be Baenjigus McMarkigan’s Spanish
Brooch. a design of no mean feat but with quite a long tale.

And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks.
Catch you all next week.
Benjamin Mark