TRM Share About the New Tyger Crowns
At the evening court during this past Birka, Their Majesties Matthias and Feilinn debuted new coronets. The Rampant Tyger Coronets were commissioned for the East and were constructed by John Michael Thorpe, OL of Æthelmearc.
They draw inspiration from both the Cariadoc Crowns for their simplicity and color and as well as the coronet worn by Cunigunde of Luxembourg, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire. The goal for these new coronets was to have a low-profile style while still being identifiable as being “Eastern” from across the room. A key feature was having new coronets that were also adjustable. Screws on the backs of the coronets are subtle, low profile, and can adjust to a variety of head sizes. This is incredibly useful considering the monarchs change twice a year. This was put to good use at their debut event with a quick adjustment being needed for His Majesty.
The coronets themselves were made with annealed sterling silver, amethyst, citrine, and blue onyx. Master Thorpe commented on the construction of the coronets and how he approached the project. “I think the thing I like to emphasize is how deeply three dimensional much of the period metalwork was, which really does not come through in all of the photographs you see of artifacts (which are typically done with very uniform light looking straight on) but is strikingly apparent when you look at them in person in museums. I used the ancient (at least 400 BC ) techniques of Chasing and Repoussé to form flat sheets into the deeply dimensional masters for the tyger castings. I find the best way to achieve a period look and feel is to use period techniques and tools when creating form.”
Customs molds were designed for the rampant tygers decorating the coronets and the center tyger passant. The tygers were cast in sterling silver specifically for this project.
The boxes for these coronets were constructed out of oak by Erasmus Urswyc and Nest verch Tangwistel.
Photo credits: Page Steinhardt, Kristen Wereszynski, and Jenn Miller.