3 research outputs found
A POWER TO INTRIGUE? EXPLORING THE âTIMELESSâ QUALITIES OF THE SOâCALLED âGROTESQUEâ IRON AGE TORC FROM SNETTISHAM, NORFOLK
Sometimes we come across objects that truly intrigue us. Not necessarily because they are great examples of art, or because they are made of precious materials, but because there is some other quality which captures our attention. One of these can be age. Just as age adds character to peopleâs faces, the patina of an object or visible signs of damage and use instils an object with a certain âcharismaâ or âauraâ. This paper examines in detail the so-called grotesque torc, a neck-ring dating to the Iron Age which has been extensively repaired. The repairs are crude and obvious, which gives the object its distinctive appearance. It is argued that these signs of age, inscribed onto the artefact through its life, imbued the torc with a timeless âanachronicâ quality: its visible age manifests a certain charisma or aura, helping facilitate a plural relationship with time.British Museu