The award-winning Corinium Museum has collaborated with a renowned Cirencester-based jewellery designer to create a new collection of Iron Age-inspired jewellery.
The collaboration between the museum and jewellery designer, Louise Parry, celebrates the museum’s reimagined and new Prehistoric galleries with a piece of jewellery that is Iron Age-inspired in its design, made using traditional techniques and skills.
Louise, who has a shop in the centre of Cirencester as well as exhibiting at shows such as Goldsmiths Fair in London, created the design after falling in love with an Iron Age gold coin while visiting the new Stone Age to Corinium exhibition.
The coin, known as a stater, is from the local Dobunnic tribe and was found at Ebrington, near Chipping Campden, in 1981. It depicts a three-tailed horse and an eight-spoked wheel, with the word BODVOC on the back.
Louise discovered that the original piece would have been struck with dies using ancient tools. Using a combination of traditional skills as well as modern silversmithing techniques such as 3D printing, Louise collaborated with CAD expert Jack Row to recreate the coin design from sketches, then to create a pendant fit for the 21st century.
Isobel Milne, Commercial Manager at Corinium Museum said: ‘We have been delighted to work with Louise Parry, especially during lockdown. The delicate details of these silver and gold-plated silver pendants reflect the local talent we have today and 2000 years ago. We are delighted with the results.’
The pendant necklaces are available in silver and gold-plated silver and are on sale now in the new Corinium Museum shop in Cirencester, as well as via its online store.
