Of Awe and Aura

In search of the Corieltauvi

2025 Air-hardening clay, wire netting and acrylic paint on oak dowel and oak plinth

'Of Awe and Aura' is a celebration of the beautiful coinage belonging to the indigenous tribes who lived throughout ancient Britain before the arrival of the Romans in AD43, and in particular, my local Corieltauvi tribe of the East Midlands.

On the southern bank of the River Humber, lies South Ferriby, once home to a substantial group of the Corieltauvi, and the origin of their wonderfully enigmatic 'silver units'; tiny coins, which for me, emit a powerful aura which belies their diminutive size. Spirited, stylised horses, wild boar and symbols of the sun are the archetypal characteristics of the South Ferriby silver units.

The inscription reads 'AVRA AWE', taking inspiration from the inscription which sometimes appears on Corieltauvi coinage, said to represent one of their possible rulers, AVN COST (Aun Cost). My inscription however, is based purely on the emotion I experience when incredible pieces of history surface after spending thousands of years beneath the soil. Such finds represent an extraordinary bridge between past and present; and a direct and profound connection with our forebears.

The following poem developed alongside 'Of Awe and Aura' in my attempt to convey something of the emotion:

In Search of The Corieltauvi

It's still a quiet place,
with echoes of ancient bog and marsh.

The little mound of soil feels damp in my hand,
and within that cold, sandy softness,
lies a tiny silver dish,
as small as a finger nail,
dulled by earth and time.
Carefully, I draw my thumb across it,
hoping...
And there!
Bewitchingly animated...
A spirited miniature horse
of the Corieltauvi!

Wrought in ages past...
Then lost.

And so it waited,
beneath that ancient, marshy land.
Unchanged,
as civilisations rose and fell.
It waited to connect those
from either end of time...
The last... And the next
to clutch it in a hand.