Unearthing Laleston's Gem
The original fragments of the Laleston cross found in a ploughed field (Image from: A corpus of early Medieval inscribed stones and stone sculpture in Wales, Volume 1, Redknap M, & Lewis, J, M., 2007).
The Original Cross
In Laleston, 1998, a small fragment jutted out from a ploughed field, seeing the light once more after an unknown age of darkness. Soon after, underneath the first fragment, the second was discovered. Carved from a local, originally cream-grey, sandstone, this beautiful interlaced cross must have been a joy to behold.
It has been dated to the eleventh, or early twelfth century, and the fragments arm splay has a maximum size of approximately twenty inches.
The Reconstruction Process
Having two fully intact arms makes reconstructing this cross accurately much more possible than might have otherwise been. Fortunately, my recreation of this piece was made much easier with the fact that I did not have to reconstruct the cross at all. Picture 2 shows a reconstruction of 'Face A' of the cross, found in 'A corpus of early Medieval inscribed stones and stone sculpture in Wales, Volume 1' by Mark Redknap & John M. Lewis. I cannot recommend this book enough (along with volumes 2-3 by Nancy Edwards). They are, of course, academic reference books, so most certainly not light reading! However, as a tome of information on the medieval carved stones scattered throughout Wales, there is no equal.
1
2
3
The Carving Process
I have a particular soft spot in my heart for this particular cross. I can't truly say what it is, but I find something truly beautiful and calming about it. When I first saw it, I imagined planets in orbit whenever I looked at it, though that image has slowly been replaced by the nickname my mother gave it after I carved her the very first one (Picture no's. 1&3): 'The Pea Pods'. Who am I to argue? I would be interested to know what other people see in it.
The thought of how this cross had been hidden in the mud for so long, broken into bits, really captured my imagination. Why was it burried there? What had happened? There is a lot of hidden history around the area and other points of interest throughout the place, including a 'Stones trail' that people can walk. What was the story behind it? Whatever the case, I really wanted to bring the beauty of this cross back to the world for people to see. I used oak wood to carve this particular cross and finished it with a natural film finish that gives it a warmth and lustre. It's a choice I'm glad I made. It gives me a smile every time I visit my mother and see it hanging on the wall.
More information
If you would like to commission a wood carving, or enquire about a recreation or restoration, please don't hesitate to get in contact with me using the 'Commission a Piece' form or the 'Contact Me' page.
Also, if you're interested, please take a look at my shop. I will be starting to put some of my carvings, furniture pieces, and wood items up for sale in the very near future, so remember to save my page and return every now and then to see what I've been up to!
Thank you.