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XVIII. 



CATALOGUE OF THE SILVER AND ECCLESIASTICAL ANTIQUITIES 



IN THE COLLECTION OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY, 



BY THE LATE SIR WILLIAM WILDE, M.D., M.R.LA, 



Edited by E. C. R. ARMSTRONG, M.R.I.A. 



Plates XXV-XXVII. 



Reail Fkbuuary S. Published August 16, 1915. 



Introductory Note. 



Sir William Wilde's catalogue of the antiquities in the collection of the 

 Royal Irish Academy was published in three parts — the catalogue of the stone, 

 earthen, and vegetable materials in 1857, the antiquities of animal materials 

 and bronze in 1861, and of the gold antiquities in 1862. Sir William Wilde 

 had intended to publish a catalogue of the silver and ecclesiastical antiquities, 

 and also of those of iron. The MSS. of these (in a very incomplete state) are 

 extant, and were long in use by the curators of the Academy's collection for 

 the purpose of identifying specimens ; some wood blocks had also been made 

 to illustrate the remaining portions of the catalogue when published. 



The question as to publishing these further portions having been brought 

 before the Academy, it was decided that this should be undertaken, and Mr. 

 E. C. R. Armstrong was requested to edit the work. The present is the first 

 instalment ; the MS. catalogue of the iron antiquities, having proved to be in 

 a much more unfinished state than that of the silver and ecclesiastical 

 objects, a considerable time will be required to prepare it for the press. 



As has been stated above, the MS. catalogue was in an incomplete con- 

 dition, and many of the descriptions of the antiquities required emendations 

 and additions. Therefore, when it has been possible to identify the objects 

 mentioned in the catalogue, they have been compared with the descriptions, 

 and, where it seemed desirable, the latter have been amplified and amended. 

 In most cases the context will make the added portions clear, while in 

 important instances the insertions have been directly indicated. It may be 

 mentioned that a number of the weights given in the MS. catalogue, having 

 been tested and found correct, it has not been considered necessary to 

 re-weigh every object ; and the same remark, mutatis mutandis, applies to the 

 measurements. 



K.I.A. PKOC, VOL. XXXII., SECT. C. [46] 



