Irish Gold and Silver

Ireland has a history of fine metalwork going back at least 4000 years. In remote pagan antiquity finely wrought and often very colourful personal ornaments were greatly valued. When Ireland was converted to Christianity in the 5th century its craftsmen began to produce religious and devotional date from roughly 2000 B.C. The latest are from the mid-19th century. The Irish craftsman of more objects which ranked among the finest of their kind in Europe. The earliest objects in this Exhibition recent times has, therefore, had an immensely long tradition of art and skill to draw upon.

Among the treasures included here are a gold collar found at Gleninsheen, County Clare, which dates from 700 B.C. It is clear from the golden bronze objects of this era that a rich and stable society existed in Ireland which included many wealthy patrons who valued fine metalwork. A later object, the Clonmacnoise Crozier, dates from about the 12th century of our era and illustrates the Scandinavian influence which had by then been absorbed by native craftsmen. Both are among the greatest treasures of early Irish art.

Visitors to the exhibition will also have the opportunity to see a selection of Irish silver from the 16th to the 19th century. I would like to draw particular attention to the William Smith O’Brien Cup which highlights some of the strands of history which bind Ireland and Australia together. It was crafted in Australia in 1854 by immigrant Irish goldsmiths as a presentation to a great Irish patriot and, in addition to its value as an example of Irish craftsmanship, it is regarded as one of the more important surviving examples of early Australian decorative art.

This is the first occasion on which Australians have had an opportunity to view such Irish treasures at first hand. The ties between us go back to the beginnings of modern Australian history and it is my sincere hope that this major Exhibition will help to renew an appreciation of our links of ancestry and our shared cultural heritage.

Sourced from: Charles Haughey, Irish Gold, National Gallery of Victoria, 1988