Summary
Horse brass: Openwork with acorn in the centre. Type: cast brass. Date: 1825-1939.
"As the seed of the oak, the acorn is a symbol of potential. In Norse and Celtic culture, acorns symbolized life, fertility and immortality. Druids ate acorns, believing them to have prophetic qualities, and acorns were sacred to the god Thor whose Tree of Life was the oak. 'Acorns and oak leaves form one of the circular 'hex' signs used by the Amish and Mennonite communities of southern Pennsylvania, the various signs believed to bestow favors such as protection or natural abundance' ." (See: http://www.savinggraves.org/education/bookshelf/carvings.htm)
"Another earth-based symbol of the divine long honored by the ancient Celts and Norse is the acorn. Druids swallowed the acorns whole in order to touch the divine mind. They were sacred to the god Thor, and in Norse mythology the Tree of Life was an oak (from which the acorn springs forth)". (See: http://symbolic-meanings.com/2008/01/26/symbols-for-divine-divinity-symbols/)
Physical Description
Item has the remains of one stud on back. Possibly from the casting process. There are forty-five perforations in the border work.
More Information
-
Collecting Areas
-
Acquisition Information
Donation from Mr W. J. Haysom, 30 Jun 1982
-
Date Made
1825-1939
Cast horse brasses were first made in 1825, and following the introduction of motor vehicles and decline in horsedrawn transport, regular production ceased in the 1930s. -
Classification
-
Category
-
Discipline
-
Type of item
-
References
[Link 1] viewed, 23.05.2008 LDH [Link 2] viewed, 23.05.2008 LDH [Link 3] viewed, 23.05.2008 LDH [Link 4] viewed, 23.05.2008 LDH
[Book] Chevalier, Jean & Gheerbrant, Alain. 1994. The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols., 1994
-
Keywords
Amulets, Animals, Cultural Beliefs, Folklore, Harnesses, Heraldry, Horse Brasses, Rituals, Souvenirs, Symbols