Prosperous Crozier

The Prosperous Crozier is an Irish Insular type crozier dating from the late 9th or early 10 century.[1] It was found fully intact by turf cutters in 1831 near Prosperous, County Kildare, but did not receive attention from antiquarians until 1851.[2][3] It is made from copper, zinc, and tin alloy, and contains traces of inscriptions, but they are too worn to read.[4]

Detail of the drop plate

The Prosperous Crozier

The crozier is in relatively good condition but was split in two halves during the late Middle Ages and recombined in the nineteenth century.[5] It is the longest intact example at a height of 1.34m. Its wooden core is supported by three tubular copper-alloy shaft casings, which hold four shaft knops, a ferrule and the crook.[1] Its drop is lined with decorations of glass and champlevé enamel.[6] The crest lining the hook is decorated with profiles of birds at the top, and a human head at its lower end, just above the drop plate.[1]

The drop contains a modern inscription, probably 18th or 19th century, recording that it was once owned by St. Mary's Abbey, Dublin, although there is no archival evidence to support this claim.[1][6]

It is one of the earliest known examples, and is kept in the archaeology wing of the NMI. It was extensively cleaned and refurbished in the late 20th century.[7]