You may remember back in June, we featured a story about the Chester Street based Martin Rees Jewellers stocking a bespoke range of silver jewellery based on a rare piece of Wrexham history, the Rhostyllen Disc.
The disc was found in Rhostyllen by a metal-detecting enthusiast over 20 years ago. Experts at the British Museum had identified it as a piece from a Dark Ages (476-1000CE) “hanging bowl” (an unusual type of ceremonial vessel). Made from bronze, with coloured champleve enamel decoration, it dates from the sixth or seventh century.
Jonathan Gammond from Wrexham Museum also provided a little background information on the “disc”. “The Rhostyllen disc was on display in the main gallery. I know the disc was returned to the collector circa 2001-2002. But we don’t know what happened to it after that.”
Well, we have some exciting news! Ruth Rees, owner of Martin Rees Jewellers has finally found the owner of the original disc! Michael Roberts, who found this historic piece almost 30 years ago, saw one of Ruth’s Facebook posts from May. He brought the original into her shop so they could take some photos.
Ruth said, “It was amazing to see it again and it is remarkable how the coloured enamel on the bronze has lasted so well through all the centuries”. We’ll feature Michael and details of another piece – a Norman sceptre head found near the STōK Cae Ras – in another story soon!
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