The Galloway Hoard Golden Bird

I have a fondness for all things feathered, and the golden bird pin from the Galloway Hoard caught my attention the moment I saw it. Niello on gold, a vaguely flamingo-ish face, and nobody really knows what it was for. A decorative pin? Ceremonial? The original pin isn’t long enough to fasten heavy cloth but it’s too blunt for fine fabric. I’m calling it an ornament and moving on.

I’ve made this bird three times now. The first one was too big. The second one I decapitated. The third one I kept — lost wax cast in silver with niello inlay.

Getting the measurements was its own adventure. The Scottish Museum doesn’t publish them anywhere I could find, and they never answered my email. I ended up using the dimensions from a reproduction in their gift shop, which may or may not be accurate. I suspect the body should be longer and the tail is too short on mine, but here we are.

Since the first version of this documentation, I’ve found evidence that changes how I think the original was made. I’ll be trying another version. Or six.

For the full documentation — historical context, process photos, what I’d do differently, and the rabbit hole about Roman-era forging techniques — download the PDF.