The Recovery of the Tain

"Muirgen, exhausted, asked the others to go on and find a place to stay while he rested against a large stone.  Alone, Muirgen noticed carving on the stone.  The strokes and lines of Ogham spelled out the name of Fergus Mac Roich, hero of the Tain."

Bronze sculpture by Charlie Mallon

The Inspiration

Standing stones are found throughout the Celtic nations, they often have Ogham script, one of the oldest forms of writing which in most cases translates to names.

This sculpture was inspired by ‘The Recovery of the Tain’ from the Book of Leinster (ca 1160). It is a story about storytelling, its importance to the Irish people and the dangers of celebrity.

The main character is Fergus, whose ghost appears by an Ogham stone.  Fergus in old Irish is Vergoso, which is written from bottom to top along the edge of the stone, it means ‘strength’.

Read the full story here, retold by local author and historian Kevin Johnston.

The Process

Each sculpture has been created using the ancient lost wax method of bronze casting. It takes the most part of a year to bring a piece to life.
Charlie first creates the work in clay. From this, he takes a mould which is used to create a wax version of the sculpture. He adds sprues, risers and pouring points to ensure that the bronze can flow fully around the piece. Layers of molochite are built up around the wax. When a suitable depth has been achieved Charlie heats the molochite shell to melt out the wax. The now hollow shell is placed in sand with just the pouring point visible. The sand holds it in place and also provides protection in case the shell breaks during the pour. Charlie heats the bronze to around 1200 degrees Celsius in a furnace he built himself. Before the hot work begins he rehearses all the movements, ‘the dance of the pour’. The molten bronze is poured into the shell and once cooled, the shell is smashed open to reveal the bronze sculpture. 

A unique patina is developed by burying the newly cast bronze in the iron rich soil by a spa well on the farm in County Tyrone. 

Each bronze sculpture is presented in wooden box with a handmade Irish linen bag. It has its edition number discreetly stamped on the base, and the details of each purchase are written into our Owner's Register.

Limited edition of 12.