Celtic, Ireland

This rare and perfectly preserved gold torque will surely become a favorite with the Museum's audience for its elegant beauty and technical virtuosity. It was made during the Middle Bronze Age in Ireland, then a center of gold jewelry production. Torques may have been used as ceremonial jewelry or as a special form of currency. They were often found in hoards (groups of valuable objects often buried for safekeeping) in sites in Ireland, Britain, and France.

This is possibly the only intact torque of its type in the United States today. It extends the range of the Museum's jewelry collection into an earlier period and another part of the ancient world, broadening knowledge of the ancient gold industry and jewelry-making. Although the twisted neck ring looks simple, its mode of manufacture remains elusive. With help from the Museum's unique resource, RISD's Jewelry and Light Metals Department, it may be possible to replicate this rare object, thus providing a better understanding of its construction.