retroleds wrote:It has arrived! I tried it on for size....should I mug for the camera?
I wear a 45-46 cm collar(17.5" is tootight, 18" a bit big)...fits me slightly tight but I wasn't going to bend it to see. Cool item I thought.
Yes, it is.
I have a few out of archeological interest and because of my horse riding. I wear one quite often.
The way they were meant to be worn, the front gap is only 1 ", 2" max.
You would need to dig one end quite deepinto the ´hole´ between your collar bones and then carefully tun it around your neck using the flex and not bent it.
It should fit my 38-39 cm. collar circumferance well.
I will send you a foto, wearing it on horseback. I have one of another torque but not wearing any clothes (for experimental archeology under supervision of a professional archologist - I shit you not!) that is not for general consumption
The torques were tradionally pure gold but also appear in silver, bronze and later even iron.
Unless sealed with a varnish or gold plated, bronze nowadays does not wear well since it will leave black oxide on your collar and neck.
The one in the picture is a replica of one found in a scytian krugan in 1830.
It is mentioned in the wonderfull 1976 Unesco publication on the Scythians.
The Unesco later declared a particular set of tattoos on ´the chieftain´- mummy as ´patrimony of humanity´.
Here the most famous theme (I have it as my logo for my Arte Ecueste) cut in metal.
This horsemen culture is one which developed for proto indo-europeans and much of it is still core element in our western (european) culture.
In central/westen europe it develops into the celtic culture, a bit north into germanic.
In Central to NW it grows together with the gold-and-garnet status sword.
The torque looses out to the cross when christianity is adopted by the tribe leaders/kings. After about 500 AD only the bracelet remains.
Anyway, looking forward to it and I will be most happy to share a photo.
28 Apr 2011, 13:36
