37 



" Another peculiarity of this brooch, not hitherto found in 

 any other specimen of the kind, is the attached chain, imfortu- 

 nately broken, which was intended to keep the pin tight, and 

 in its proper position. This chain, which is of silver, is of that 

 peculiar construction usually known as the Trichinopoly work ; 

 but it is not the only example of the manufacture of such chains 

 in Ireland which has fallen under my notice, and which I be- 

 lieve to be examples of art of a very considerable antiquity. 



" It is scarcely necessary to call attention to the beautiful 

 taste in design exhibited in the various ornamental patterns 

 with which this work is overlaid, and which are not, as usual, 

 confined to the front or exposed side, but almost equally enrich 

 its reverse ; nor is it necessary to call attention to the beauty 

 of workmanship exhibited in the execution of these ornaments; 

 but to appreciate fully the perfection of this beauty, the orna- 

 ments must be studied through a lens of no moderate power: 

 and the drawings on an enlarged scale, which I hold in my hand, 

 and which have been made by Mr. Nelson, the very intelligent 

 conductor of Mr. Waterhouse's business, will assist the Aca- 

 demy in tracing the various designs of the ancient artistic work- 

 man. 



" Of these designs or patterns it has been found that there 

 are no less than seventy-six varieties, all of which exhibit an 

 admirable sense of ornamental beauty, and a happy fitness for 

 their relative situations ; and it should be observed that in all 

 the smaller ornaments the only fastening used to keep them 

 in their places is a delicate bur, not perceptible to the naked 

 eye. In other places, however, and particularly in the circu- 

 lar insertions of amber, the gold rosettes placed upon them are 

 fastened by pins, which pass through the brooch, and are rivet- 

 ted also on the opposite side. 



" It should be observed, that the insertions of amber and 

 variegated glass are not of unusual occurrence in the remains 

 preserved to us of the jewellery art in Ireland ; nor is the ex- 



