We were commissioned to make a set of 4 brooches and 3 kilt pins incorporating a Gaelic family motto. The family wanted to achieve a design that would look modern but incorporate links back to history and tradition. We decided the Ogham language would suit this perfectly.

We used different gemstones for different family members to reflect their personalities.

 

Also known as ‘the secret language of poets', or ‘Tree alphabet', Ogham ( pronounced 'owam') was used in Scotland , Ireland , England and Wales , from about the 4th to the 7th century AD.

Each letter is named after a tree, or plant. Written onto a solid line that represents the trunk, each letter represents a branch. Ogham was usually written vertically from bottom to top in inscriptions, and horizontally in manuscripts.

About 500 inscriptions have been found on standing stones in the U.K., although it would more commonly have been used inscribed on wood, and there are 3 examples left in Argyll. These include markings on the top of Dunadd where Kings were crowned and jewellers worked.

 

If you would be interested in commissioning something similar please contact us to discuss your ideas.