More Bells!

As I mentioned in a previous post, my husband, sculptor James Hayes, has been experimenting with making bells. Although also working on these at home, he usually gets more concentrated time to focus on the annual Umha Aois (bronze age) experimental bronze casting symposium. This summer it was held in Skibbereen, West Cork. Still in a bell frame of mind, a recent trip to the National Museum of Ireland got us looking at different bells, especially noticing their handles. I have previously posted pictures of the 2-loop handled bells, but this bell also struck us because it was so curvy.

The handle on this bell seems to be a simple coil.

This bell was notable because it was sheet iron riveted together and possibly brazed.

While at Dublinia a few weeks back, there was a lovely rounded Viking hand bell in a display. The clapper can be seen in the photo, and this is worth noting as the typical Irish bells did not have clappers but were tapped like an instrument.

Here is a selection of bells my husband has made and a leather-wrapped bronze tool to sound a bell. The smaller flattish bell in the centre rear is made of sheet iron and has been folded and riveted together; a leather thong has been threaded through holes to make a handle. James plans to braze (bronze coat) that bell. The other bells are cast bronze.

Dublinia - Viking Museum

It seems like a long time ago -- I think because it was such a gorgeous warm day and the weather has been like to a monsoon of late -- but it was only a couple of weekends ago that I went to see Dublinia Viking Museum at Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin. I had never visited this museum before and found the three floors of displays very enjoyable and educational. I had arrived shortly after the museum opened and I was sure glad of this as the place was jammed by time I was leaving at lunchtime!

I did the 96 step climb up St. Michael's Tower where there were great views of Dublin, including the outline of a Viking hut across the road from the museum.

Coming down from the tower I was delighted that one had to exit via the enclosed bridge over the road. It is such an elegant structure with stained glass windows letting lots of coloured light in that day.

Outside and in front of the cathedral is the chancery ruin. I imagine that the ground must have been considerably lower as that broken window structure was at my feet.

I have often walked by this series of pavement sculpture that gives an indication of the items found when the area was undergoing rebuilding. The building of the Dublin City civic offices was quite scandalous at the time as the archaeologists were in a beat-the-clock situation where they were only granted a very limited time to excavate the site.

The artist who created these works is Rachel Joynt, an Irish artist whose public work I have admired for some time.