Crook of the late 11th century Clonmacnoise Crozier. National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology, Kildare Street, Dublin
An Insular crozier is a type of processional bishop's staff (crozier)[1] produced in Ireland and Scotland between 800 and 1200. Such items can be distinguished from mainland European types by their curved and open crooks, and drop (that is, the hollow box-like extension at the end of the crook).[2][3] By the end of the 12th century, production of Irish croziers had largely ended, but examples continued to be reworked and added to throughout the Romanesque and Gothic periods.[4] Although many of the croziers are associated with 5th- and 6th-century saints, the objects were not made until long after the saints had died. A majority originate from around the 9th century, and were often used as embellishment between the 11th and 13th centuries.
Croziers were symbols of office for bishops or abbots. Their form is based on the idea of the shepherd as pastor of his flock, and was popular from the early days of Christianity. The first known mention of the attribute in relation to Ireland is from 431 CE, and in the context of the conversion of the Irish population to Christianity.[5] The first Insular staffs were produced in the 9th and 10th centuries during periods of political and religious upheaval in Ireland, when authority was often seen as needing to be made explicit, including during the Viking invasions. A number of examples, such as the Cath Bhuaidh, found in Iona, are known to have been carried into battle against the Vikings as talismans. Insular croziers tend to be around 1.2 metres in length, the same size as a large walking stick.[6]
Most have an inner wooden core onto which tubular copper alloy (bronze) plates were attached. The crooks tend to be highly decorated with elements such as openwork, and animal designs. As of 2014, fewer than 20 surviving fully intact examples were known, in addition to 60 fragments in various states of completeness.[5][7]
The major extant examples include the Clonmacnoise Crozier (believed to be amongst the first examples of Irish metalwork of the medieval period), the Kells Crozier (9th to 11th centuries), St Mel's Crozier (10th and 12th century), the River Laune Crozier (late 10th century), the Lismore Crozier (c. 1100), and the Scottish Coigreach and St Fillan’s Crozier.[8][9][10] The majority of surviving Insular croziers are held in the National Museum of Ireland, National Museum of Scotland and the British Museum.
^Often spelled as "crosier", including by Irish art historians
^Youngs (1989), p. 214
^Murray (2007a), p. 81
^Murray (2007a), p. 89
^ abMoss (2014), p. 310
^Cite error: The named reference m83 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
An Insularcrozier is a type of processional bishop's staff (crozier) produced in Ireland and Scotland between 800 and 1200. Such items can be distinguished...
Western- and Eastern-style croziers A crozier or crosier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol...
The Clonmacnoise Crozier is a late-11th-century Insularcrozier that would have been used as a ceremonial staff for bishops and mitred abbots. Its origins...
crosses and other items. The Insularcrozier had a distinctive shape; the survivals, such as the Kells Crozier and Lismore Crozier all appear to be Irish or...
The Lismore Crozier is an Irish Insular-type crozier dated to between 1100 and 1113 AD. It consists of a wooden tubular staff lined with copper-alloy plates;...
The River Laune Crozier (or Innisfallen or Dunloe Crozier) is a late 11th-century Insularcrozier, now at the Archaeology branch of the National Museum...
The Kells crozier or British Museum Crozier is an early medieval Irish Insularcrozier. It is often known as the "Kells Crozier", indicating an associating...
The Prosperous Crozier is a late 9th-century or early 10-century Irish Insular type crozier that would have been used as a ceremonial staff for bishops...
relations between insular and Scandinavian craftsmen, and he is a leading expert on both house-shaped shrines and insularcroziers. His doctoral thesis...
saint's relics, and range from surveys of early Irish hand-bells, to Insularcroziers, Celtic brooches, crucifixion plaques and cumdachs. Describing his...
There is archaeological evidence of insular monasticism as early as the mid 5th century, influenced by establishments in Gaul such as the monastery of...
later phases of Early Christian art, Migration Period art, Byzantine art, Insular art, Pre-Romanesque, Romanesque art, and Gothic art, as well as many other...
interlace and in Britain vine-scrolls, all in the styles also found in insular art in other media such as illuminated manuscripts and metalwork. They...
in painting, and by the anti-classical energy of the decoration of the Insular art of the British Isles. From these elements was forged a highly innovative...
of the places, as a crossroads between cultures, where the Insular style developed. Insular art is the name given to the common style that developed in...
I've seen in football over the years is that they're very narrow, very insular, and may not do a proper job even though with the right intentions." On...
Cowie (1886–1956), painter Hugh Adam Crawford (1898–1982), painter William Crozier (1893–1930), landscape painter Jessie Alexandra Dick (1896–1976), painter...
of the seven founding saints of Brittany. His early vita is one of five insular and two Breton saints' lives that mention King Arthur independently of...
2 – The 5,000 crew members of the USS Roosevelt cheered Captain Brett Crozier after he was relieved of duty for speaking up about the coronavirus outbreak...
Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin In addition, the following territories and insular areas were represented by contemporary or former slaveowners who were elected...
Global Information