Maeve Sikora selects the Ardagh Hoard from the National Museum of Ireland collection on the 150th anniversary of its discovery
September 2018 is a key moment for Irish cultural heritage in the National Museum of Ireland’calendar; it marks 150 years sincethe Ardagh Hoard was discovered.The 8th-century silver chalice, commonly known as the Ardagh Chalice, is the most famous element of this hoard. It is widely considered to be one of Ireland’s greatest treasures and its appeal has endured since the time of its discovery in 1868. The Ardagh Chalice is almost synonymous with the National Museum of Ireland and with artistic achievement in early medieval Ireland. In fact, the chalice is one of the great European treasures of its time. Along with this highly decorated silver chalice were found a plain copper-alloy chalice and four silver brooches. Taking the date of all the objects into consideration, it is likely that the hoard was buried sometime in the 10th century.
Angela Griffith reflects on the multifaceted practice of Alex Pentek, whose work ranges from the solidity of public art to the floating paper sculpture currently on view at the RhA
Christian Dupont compares two embroideries illustrating an enigmatic poem by WB Yeats from the collection of Burns Library at Boston College
Andy Sheridan’s nocturnal compositions of a city at rest joins the great tradition of the fl√¢neur, writes Ros Kavanagh