The Capel Garmon Firedog () is likely to be a late

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

Andiron An andiron, firedog, fire-dog, fire dog or iron-dog is a bracket support, normally one of a pair, on which logs are laid for burning in an open fireplace, so that air may circulate under the firewood, allowing better burning and less smoke. T ...

found in Capel Garmon,

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

History

The firedog was found in a field at Carreg Goedog Farm in Capel Garmon, Conwy. It was deeply buried on its side when found, with a large stone at both ends. The way in which the artefact was placed suggests it may have been an offering to a

Celtic god The gods and goddesses of the pre-Christian Celtic peoples are known from a variety of sources, including ancient places of worship, statues, engravings, cult objects, and place or personal names. The ancient Celts appear to have had a pantheon ...

The Antiquaries Journal ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

notes that the firedog was found in a peat bog in

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthi ...

in 1852, and had been familiar with students who studied Iron Age art since it was published by J. Romilly Allen in 1901. The firedog was preserved nearby in Voelas Hall upon its discovery. Colonel J. C. Wynne Finch, who owned the firedog and was a governor of the National Museum of Wales, lent it to the National Museum in Cardiff for a period of two years beginning in April 1939. The firedog was transferred to Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales as an Acceptance in Lieu (AIL) scheme which enables a taxpayer to transfer art and heritage objects into public ownership as part or full payment of inheritance tax.

Proposed use

The firedog was originally one of a pair at the hearth of a roundhouse of a chieftain. The animal head on each side of the fire dog could be a representation of a horse, dog or mythical beast. J. Evans quotes an opinion on the potential use of the firedog: "I would suggest that this instrument is intended to hold the spits for roasting fowls, game or other small animals. … The loops on the side are evidently intended for that purpose, and it is probable that the horns of the two heads are intended for supporting a larger one". X-ray scans of the firedog performed alongside a replica-making process demonstrated that the original blacksmith who forged it was highly skilled; the experiment found that 85 separately shaped elements were used to create the piece, originally weighing about 38 kilograms. It is estimated to have taken around three years to create.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * {{Celts Welsh art Iron Age Wales Welsh artefacts Collection of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales

History

Proposed use

See also

References

Bibliography