Clan jewels recreated in honour of first Buchanan chief for 340 years
A set of clan jewels pieced together over hundreds of years, but partly lost over time will be recreated ahead of the inauguration of the first chief of Buchanan since the 17th century.
The replicas are being made ahead of the ceremony to install John Michael Baillie-hamilton Buchanan as Chief of Clan Buchanan in October.
The inauguration, which will be held at the chief ’s Perthshire home, will be the first time the clan has had a figurehead for 340 years, with Mr Buchanan, 63, identified after years of of genealogical research.
Re creating the jewels will help bring the clan closer to its past as it prepares for the future, the new Clan Chief said.
Among the pieces is a replica silver Jacobite rose, originally presented to the clan in the 18th century after francis buchanan of Arnpryor, a treasurer and armourer of Bonnie Prince Charlie, was executed in October 1746 for stockpiling weapons before Culloden.
Mr Buchanan, a retired civil engineer of Cambusmore Estate in Perthshire, said: “The clan jewels symbolise the soul of the clan, so it was vital to research and replicate each item in order to honour our history and heritage. The skilled and dedicated work from a number of local Scottish craftspeople has led to the creation of an intricate collection capturingthe essence of the clan' s past, while embracing its evolution into the modern day."
A replica of the silver sword of Leny, reportedly first presented to the chief’s ancestor by King Cullen around 970, has also been made. The sword, which disappeared after Culloden, acted as an early legal symbol of the clan’s ownership of land around call and er, with the symbolbecoming embedded on the Buchanan coat of arms.
Mr Buchanan said the clan jewels celebrated successes and moments of clan pride, with objects made to represent joint tribal experiences, such as important battles and particular weapons used to defend the clan name. The passing of the clan jewels to the new chief was symbolic of the importance of continuity and the ongoing spirit of the clan, he added.
Silversmith Roddy Young, of Inverness, worked on several of the pieces for the inauguration. He recreated the insignia of the Sword of Leny from a drawing of the original as well as the Jacobite rose and a new cromach, a type of crook, which features a silver bear.
Mr Young, who made the cromachwi th ronspeirs,a specialist maker in Dunkeld, said: “I feel very honoured to have been chosen to work on creating a new set of Buchanan clan jewels, some of them based on recreating historic pieces, but others made from new, adding a contemporary twist. This project has made full use of my broad range of skills as a craftsman, incorporating very traditionalsilversmith in ga long with the latest digital techniques.
“Thanks to the excellent historical research carried out by The Lady Buchanan, the challenging design brief has gone smoothly so far, and I look forward to working on the next set of pieces for the inauguration in October.”
A stone throne, which featurestwo falcons, has also been carved for the inauguration by stonemason Adam Innes.
The last Chief of Clan Buchanan was john buchanan, who died in 1681 without a male heir.