These unusual artefacts from Northern Scotland date from 200 to 800 AD. It is still unknown what place they held in Pictish culture. Were they charm stones or ammunition for slings, purely decorative or held deeper meaning?
A fantastic piece of experimental archaeology was recently carried out by Robbie Arthur and Jenny Murray into how these stones were made. They suggest that the 'paint' used to produce the swirls, dots and circular patterns may have been naturally occurring tar or pitch residue from the burning of peat in fireplaces. By trialing various available materials, they found that combinations of straw, gull feathers and plant stems may have been responsible for creating these beautiful patterns.
As with the 'Scar' plaque, these were originally commissioned by the Orkney Museum in Kirkwall and are reimagined with modern paint for safety and varnish for longevity. The stones themselves are quartzite pebbles from the beaches around Edinburgh.
In-keeping with the originals, these pebbles have been hand painted using a variety of feathers as makeshift paintbrushes and quill cross-sections to make the various ring patterns .
Prices from £4 per stone.
The following pages act as the online portfolio of our past and present work, many of which are often made time and time again due to popularity. To find out more about each of our items and enquire as to customisation and timescales, then just get in touch via the 'Contact Us' page.
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You can also view our Etsy shop to see all of our current 'in stock' items or to view more of our previous work.
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