Maeshowe Dragon Large Brooch

Two years ago, I saw this broach in the First and Last Gift Shop (John O' Groats Crafts LTD) at Land's End - John O'Groats, Scotland, across the Pentland Firth from Orkney, and, for some reason, as I didn't know its history then, had to have it. (We had planned to take the ferry to Orkney that day, but all the spots were taken before we called, so we visited John 0'Groat and this shop instead, thinking that we would actually never make it to Orkney during our sojourn in Scotland as Missionaries for our Church.) The broach "called to me" the from the first moment I saw it, and, after dithering about getting it for nearly an hour, I finally succumbed to its charm and bought it. Imagine my surprise when we learned the very next week that we were going to be posted to Orkney for the balance of our Mission - the next nine months. Then I KNEW why I had HAD to have that broach! We ended up living in Stromness, three miles from Maeshowe, and visited that site often, including on our 48th wedding anniversary, which occurred on December 19, 2015, during the Winter Solstice event - which was the best our guide said he had witnessed in several years! Thus, this wonderful piece has become the trigger for all of those memories for me every time I put it on! (The only thing that would make it even more wonderful is if it had a bail on the back so it could also be used as a pendant. I subsequently purchased the smaller pendant, but really prefer the larger size of the broach!)

We will never know the name of the Viking genius who in the twelfth century carved the stunningly lovely Maeshowe Dragon. Fortunately we do know the name Ola Gorie. Thank you for reproducing this wonderful design. The brooch is a joy.