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Dumfries Museum
Celtic Head (Stone)
Site Name Dumfries Museum
Classification Celtic Head (Stone)
Alternative Name(s) Dumfries Burgh Museum; Thornhill Museum; Grierson Collection
Canmore ID 65536
Site Number NX97NE 136
NGR NX 99 79
NGR Description Unlocated
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/65536
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Dumfries
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Nithsdale
- Former County Dumfries-shire
NX97NE 136 unlocated
The smaller of two (definitely Celtic) heads that is built into the garden wall of Dumfries Burgh Museum (NX97NE 99) was found in 1965 during the clearing of the garden of Dr T B Grierson's museum and is carved from a greyish fawn gritstone that is possibly local to the site at which the carving originated. It is carved in 1/2 in. (13mm) high relief on an ashlar block 5.5 by 5 ins. (140 by 127mm) which has apparently been trimmed to fit its present position. Even before its incorporation into the wall, the stone may have been re-cut and the face carved at that stage. The face is oval with prominent brow and pointed chin or short imperial beard. The eyes lie in a straight line and are not marked with any physical detail but become broader at their inner corners. The nose is column-like, the features are not naturally spaced and the whole face is well-finished with an overall measurement of 3.5 by 2 ins. (89 by 51mm). This head is very closely paralleled by that from Lanchester, northern England, and is also remarkably like that on the end of a whetstone from Lochar Moss, near Collin (NY07NW 2) and has been tentatively identified with Maponus.
W Dodds 1972.
