​The Somerset Celtic Winged Mystery

Crafted for the Present:

• Museum-Quality Replica: An authentic 1:1 historical reproduction cast directly from the original British artifact.

• Bench-Made to Order: Hand-forged to your exact specifications at our Leeds Corn Exchange workshop. Preserving the past, forging the future.

• Guaranteed Authenticity: Independently tested and legally hallmarked by the UK Assay Office in your choice of Solid Silver, 9ct, or 18ct Gold.

The History of the Find:

​Period: 14th – 15th Century (Late Medieval)

​Find Location: Somerset, UK

Style: Zoomorphic (animal-form) openwork

Significance of the Design:

• This piece features the flowing, curvilinear lines that define the La Tène art style. The design is “zoomorphic,” appearing to represent a highly stylized bird or a winged creature in flight. In Celtic mythology, birds – particularly water birds or birds of prey – were seen as messengers between the physical world and the spirit realm.

  ​The presence of the open-work circle (or “eye”) is a significant design choice. This motif was often used to provide a point of suspension or to allow a contrasting material, like brightly coloured enamel or coral, to be set into the metal. While the piece’s exact use is debated, its shape and size suggest it may have been a high-status chariot fitting, a decorative mount for a leather harness, or a fragment of a larger, ceremonial vessel. In the watery landscape of Iron Age Somerset, such a creature would have served as a powerful talisman for protection and safe passage.

The Find: 

Discovered by a detectorist in Somerset, this artifact likely belonged to the Durotriges or Dobunni tribes. The original fragment survives with a beautiful “Ceadar-green” patina, and the remnants of the casting seams show the “lost wax” technique used by Celtic smiths to create such complex, three-dimensional shapes. The wear on the internal edges suggests it was once part of a moving assembly, perhaps rattling musically as its owner travelled.