ORNAMENTS AND DECORATION 425
in
its setting. According to George Pétrie, LL.D., in his "Christian
Inscriptions in the Irish Language," the shrine bears an inscription to
the effect that it was made by John O'Barrdan at the instance of John
O'Carbry, Abbot of Clones, who died in 1353.
Dr.
R. F. Scharff informs us that there is also in the Dublin Museum a
modern Celtic gold brooch, presented to Queen Victoria on the occasion
of her visit to Ireland in 1849, and containing a pearl of beautiful
luster, discovered in Lough Esk, which is in the western part of
Ireland. Dr. Scharff says that this pearl is undoubtedly from the Marga-ritifera margaritifera.
Mr.
W. Forbes Howie of Dublin writes that the shrine of O'Donnel, made in
1084, originally contained pearls. It still retains some pieces of
amber and coral. Mr. Howie believes that fresh-water pearls were freely
used in the decoration of ancient Irish shrines.
The
inventories of jewels and ornaments belonging to the kings and queens
of France, to the nobility, and to the treasures of the
Sainte-Chapelle, in Paris, and of the abbey and church of St. Denis,
all mention a large number of objects decorated with pearls.1 The more important of these are given below.
The following ornaments decorated with pearls are mentioned in the inventory of Louis, Duke of Anjou, which was made circa 1360:2
A
large silver-gilt foot for a vase or chalice, resting upon six lions
couchant, and set with groups of four pearls with a garnet in the
middle.
A
half girdle of gold with a hinge bearing two ornaments, one a balas set
between two eagles. Between the ornaments is a gold bar set with eight
pearls in two rows. In front is a clasp with a large sapphire in the
middle, surrounded by two balases and two sapphires alternating with
pearls.
A
gold brooch having a balas-ruby in the middle, and at each side four
sapphires and four clusters each of five quite large pearls.
A
gold brooch of a very pretty design, with five balas-rubies, two
sapphires, and eight very round pearls weighing about four carats each.
At each end of the brooch is a flat pearl weighing about five carats.
There is in the Bibliothèque Nationale3 in Paris, the original record of the execution of the testament of the Comte de Montpensier, son of
