[Ansteorra-announce] New Crowns - Take 2

[Kingdom Seneschal]

Let's try this again....

Greetings Ansteorra!

For a while now, there has been a discussion about replacing the current
"Early Period" Crowns for the King, Queen, Prince and Princess. These are
the standard, four point Crowns that have been in use for 30 years. While
they are simple and elegant, they are also over 30 years old and have seen
a lot in their time of use.

A request for bids was sent out a while back, and the choices have been
narrowed down to 2. Their Majesties and Their Highnesses want your opinion!
Go to the Kingdom Webpage (ansteorra.org
<http://ansteorra.org/?fbclid=IwAR21eAbaiiDnmFqBl4-hMwi76KGWE0To6Gi_SRRQx_UkEpcd5hRRyadplLs>)
and click on the link at the top to see the 2 versions. And then vote for
your favorite! Below is the information that was sent by the artisans
regarding materials and such.

There have been requests for the pricing of the two sets that have been put
up. The exact pricing is part of a confidential bid, but I will say that
both sets would be very close to the same price and total cost for either
set would be under $14 thousand.

Also, the pics that are up are the ones that the Crowns and Heirs have
selected as the final choices. Any other variations were deemed as not
acceptable and have been removed. The Artisans involved are aware and have
agreed to what is shown as options.

Thank you,
In service to Ansteorra,
Avery Shaw,
Kingdom Seneschal

Bid 1:
Our design intent is to make a clear statement about the royal presence of
Ansteorra’s nobility
throughout the known world. To present the talent, means and the wisdom of
the kingdom and
to reflect positively on the presence of Ansteorra’s Kings Queens, princes
and princesses, and
to our society as a whole.
Ease of fit: we are making a sewn in place adjustable liners for all crowns
and coronets, this will
will be a flexible drawstring based internal liner for the widest size
range of heads and
wearability over hats, veils and in the case of eventual replacement be the
easiest to replace or
modify as needed.

Methods and techniques
The crowns and coronets will be constructed from repeating panels using
both lost wax cast
components and fabricated elements. The primary structure of the crowns and
circlets will be of
a golden and lustrous bronze. The black heraldic ten pointed star, the
laurel wreaths and the
black roses of the queen’s and princesses’ regalia will be depicted in an
antiqued black silver.
The gems used in the points of the King and Queens crowns will be citrines
(a firey and bright
yellow gold form of quartz). The Kings and queens crowns will be made from
12 panels each attached to a structural band. The crown Prince and Princess
will each be made from 6 pieces
each also of bronze with antique black silver elements but without gems.

Care, Maintenance and warranty

The care and maintenance of the crowns and coronets will be simple hand
polish as needed to
restore luster. If anything breaks or comes loose as a result of wear in
the first year we will
repair or replace it but for shipping to and from our location. If major
corrosion or structural
damage happens we will address the costs of repair as needed. Shipping to
and from our
location is required for any major assessment of damages or repairs. We
will include jewelry
cloths for the hand polishing. We will deliver either by courier or by
shipping on completion to
either the Kingdom Chamberlain or to their Majesties and royal highnesses.
Storage: this bid covers four custom padded wooden storage boxes, suitable
for transportation
and shipping.

Bid 2:
The height of the Royal Majesties Crowns are 3” at the highest points and
the royal Highness will be 2.5” tall. The inside circumference will be apx
24.5 “ to 23.5” depending on which panels are being worn. If a different
range of height / circumference is preferred, let me know. I’m working
forward from the size range that most of my baronial commissions have
requested. I am as ever at your service.

Solid designs are available at a more economical cost due to the
time-consuming nature of making hinges for the custom panels. These can be
padded out in a few ways and can offer a bit more stability, though
somewhat at the cost of comfort over the years. In all designs, subtle .75
drill holes will allow for Internal padding to be easily sewn in place to
allow for periodic removal and a good range of adjustability and comfort
from reign to reign.

All of the surfaces are ornamented in a low relief and solidly connected.
Settings, should you desire them, will be sturdily built so that regular
maintenance will be minimal and future maintenance and polishing will be
simple and straightforward. I maintain a small inventory of spare parts,
gems, settings and custom molds for all elements of every commission I
complete, and I always include a few extra hinge pins and bead posts where
appropriate. Should your kingdom choose to do maintenance or repairs
locally I always design these in such a way that no other craftsperson
would have cause to stress. I worked too many years at a repair bench for
this to not be a primary tenant of my art.

These designs include chased, cast, engraved, forged, tooled and pierced
elements. I am a goldsmith and well skilled in my mundane trade for the ten
years prior to coming home to the SCA and then from there, growing many new
skills in the ten years that followed as an active part of my kingdoms
Art’s and Science community.

I have designed these to be made in a type of tarnish resistant brass
called dix gold. We spend most of our summers here at with amount of
humidity and heat that leads us to calling Southwestern Ontario, the armpit
of Canada, due to being sandwiched between our two great lakes. With all of
this weather, this material still only needs a light cleaning with a
jewelers cloth or sunshine cloth to keep it looking stunning. For the gems,
should you choose to include them I would recommend onyx, it is an suitably
durable, economical and readily available choice for the designs. If you
should like to include some native minerals or gems to your region, I am
open to the possibility and am a reasonably adept at lapidary (gem
polishing).

I've included several renderings, they are curved, as I’ve drafted them as
patterning pieces, the arch in two dimensions when connected end to end
creates a crown that will sit comfortably upon the brow with a slight tilt
outward.

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