Reconstruction – the Ballyvass drinking horn mount

The Ballyvass mount represents the head of a hound, and has been dated to the 8th/9th century AD. As the silver mount formed only a small part of a much larger object, the reconstruction drawing is key to telling the story of how the mount might have looked in its original setting. Drinking horns were intended to impress, and played a vital role in early Irish feasting and drinking.

This image was digitally drawn, but intended to create an impression of a more traditional medium. The form of the reconstruction was arrived at in collaboration with the artist and the archaeologist.