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XXII. 
ox ATT IRISH CROZIER, WITH EARLY METAL CROOK, 
PROBABLY THE MISSING CROZIER OE ST. CIARAIST," 
OF CLONMACNOISE. By W. ERAZER, E.R.C.S.I. ; Member 
of Council, Royal Irish Academy ; and of the Royal Historical 
and Archaeological Association of Ireland. 
[Read May 13, 1889.] 
During a brief visit to London in the summer of last year I was 
offered for purchase the curved handle and decorated upper portion 
of the staff of an Irish baculus, or crozier, attached to a piece of wood 
of short size, measuring altogether twelve inches in length ; the wood 
itself appears to be a piece of yew. It is needless to say it passed 
into my possession. 
I was desirous, if possible, to ascertain some facts about its previous 
history, and, above all, how it came into the hands of the people who 
sold it to me ; they asserted it had been in their keeping for many 
years, and was brought by their family originally from Ireland, but 
its immediate owners were either ignorant how it was obtained, nor 
would they give the slightest information even as to the district 
whence they came. They were of Irish race and name, and said they 
had been long settled in England. All my efforts failing to obtain 
further information, I had to content myself with bringing back to 
this country an example, hitherto unknown, of high-class Irish art- 
true " Opus Hibernicum," consisting of a basis of bronze, inlaid 
with flat strips of silver, bright-red copper, and darker-coloured 
niello, dispersed in flowing and characteristic patterns and inter- 
lacings, and having on the knop, or broad ring, jewel-holes, from 
which the gems or enamels that once filled them had long since 
disappeared. These jewel-holes and other prominent parts of the 
baculus were ornamented with gold, of which distinct traces are 
still perceptible. 
This crozier is composed of two portions, altogether distinct frora 
each other, of about equal lengths, the head -piece, or crook, which 
is much older, and has no trace of decoration by inlaying, merely 
consisting of a pale bronze sheath or cover, the handle once affixed 
