Anglo-Saxon Jewellery Day

We had a ball on Monday when all sixty Year 4 pupils from Immanuel & St Andrew's CofE Primary School visited the shop to put together their wonderful handmade beads. This was a hands-on art project that formed part of their studies in Anglo-Saxon history. At school they had made some very lovely beads out of clay, which were decorated in the colours of long ago; and in the shop, they strung their beads together and learnt how to secure the ends to make a wearable piece of jewellery such as might have been worn in Anglo Saxon days. So out went the lobster clasps, and in came the hooks and rings!

We discussed the materials and design elements that Anglo-Saxons might have used in their adornments, and some groups even had a chance to try out making their own clasps out of wire. Below, a lovely necklace in progress:

Of course it helps a great deal to have your very own in-house helper for all that setting up that is needed, so a big thank you to where it is due.

We had lots of fun, and hope to do it again next year!