Updated March 24th 2014

April 23rd marks the 1000th anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf, at which High King Brian Boru’s armies famously defeated the Danes. Equally famously, Brian was killed after the battle by a fleeing Dane. The result was political chaos and bad news for Ireland. As it happens, Brian Boru was my 32 x great grandfather by direct descent ( so that I potentially share his genes with at least 4.294 billion other people worldwide!)

In honour of this significant moment in Irish history, I’ve made some commemorative Delft-style dishes, decorated with Brian Boru’s arms, three lions “passant gardant”, or the OBrien crest, the “lamh laidir”. If you like them, there are a few examples made, and I’m happy to take commissions. The recommended retail prices do not include P&P.

These bowls were all slip-glazed, biscuit fired, then decorated with wax-resist, jun glaze brushed over. A brushed-on version of the positive/negative formula that worked with the sgraffitto fern/bird motif.