Torcs and their smaller cuff-style descendants were worn across Celtic Europe from Iberia to Bohemia, crafted from bronze, copper, silver and gold, and marked out warriors, leaders and the wealthy within Celtic society. Beyond plain bands, more elaborate examples carried decorative motifs, and dragon imagery in particular runs through Celtic and later Celtic-revival art as a symbol of strength, power and, in some traditions, guardianship. Roman writers noted the prominent jewellery worn by Celtic warriors, and torcs were valued highly enough to be taken as war trophies on a large scale. This adjustable brass cuff carries a dragon design in keeping with that decorated tradition.
Celtic Cuff, Dragon Design
The Celtic cuff descends from the torc, the open-ended metal ring worn at the neck, wrist or arm across Celtic Europe as a mark of status, rank and sometimes protective or spiritual significance. This cuff carries a dragon motif, a creature that recurs across Celtic art and later medieval Celtic-influenced traditions as a symbol of strength and power. Adjustable and cast in brass, it recreates the more decorated end of the historical range of Celtic arm and wrist jewellery, in contrast to plainer, unadorned examples.
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