Crystal jar from Viking treasure hoard to go on show in Kirkcudbright

A rock crystal jar from a significant Viking hoard discovered near Dumfries will be displayed for the first time later this year.

The Galloway Hoard was unearthed in a field by metal detectorist Derek McLennan in 2014 and is thought to be one of the most important archaeological finds in the UK this century.

Buried about AD 900, it contained a variety of objects and materials, including pendants, brooches, bracelets and relics.

The jar, which resembles an ornate perfume bottle decorated in gold embellishments, will go on display at Kirkcudbright Galleries on 8 November.

National Museums Scotland, which acquired the collection in 2017, said the jar was wrapped in linen and placed in a silk-lined leather pouch, before being packed into a larger lidded vessel with more than 20 other treasures.

Over several months, the object was carefully separated from the textile – a rare medieval survival itself which is believed to include Scotland’s earliest example of silk.

These and other precious textile survivals had to be conserved with care, so the jar has never been available for display before.

The jar is thought to relate to the Christian church or its clergy and has a Latin inscription written in gold which translates as “Bishop Hyguald had me made”.

National Museums Scotland said due to gaps in church records in the 9th century, when the hoard is thought to have been buried, it had not been possible to identify Hyguald or exactly where he was based.

Dr Martin Goldberg from National Museums Scotland said: “The rock crystal jar is one of the highlight objects from the Galloway Hoard.

“From the beautiful rock crystal itself, originally carved in the form of a classical Corinthian column two thousand years ago, to the incredibly intricate gold decoration added hundreds of years later and including a clear inscription identifying its owner, this one object exemplifies the complex, connected and historic nature of the Galloway Hoard.

“The jar was the subject of international attention when we first revealed the inscription, and it’s great to be able to put it on display it for the first time in Kirkcudbright.”

Most of the Galloway Hoard is currently on display as part of an international tour which began earlier this year.

Its showing at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide is due to close in July, as the collection moves to Melbourne for the next leg of the tour.