Dawn over Iona Abbey, with the Isle of Mull in the background
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Dawn over Iona Abbey, with the Isle of Mull in the background |
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|  Many thanks to E. Mairi MacArthur, author of "Iona Celtic Art, The Work of Alexander and Euphemia Ritchie" for all her help with information about the Ritchies. At the outset I have to say that I am not an expert on jewellery or metalwork per se. My fascination and devotion to the tiny island of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland is longstanding, and began just over forty years ago. As anyone who has visited or stayed on the island and has experienced the unrivalled scenery, the unique location of the Abbey and its surrounding buildings, the Celtic crosses and carvings, and the extraordinary spiritual atmosphere will agree – once you’ve been there you will never forget this magical place. You will always carry it with you in your heart. At the age of eighteen I worked for the Iona Community and lived on the island in the Abbey buildings. I was drawn to and began sketching the magnificent stone carvings in the Abbey museum, and also derived much inspiration from several very old and rare books in the Abbey library on Iona’s ancient monuments and crosses. Coincidentally, during this period one book I had bought was ‘Iona Past and Present’, by A. Ritchie, with a fine sketch of a Viking ship on the cover, but at the time the author was just another name to me – someone very knowledgeable who had produced an excellent guide-book to the island. Over the last thirty years I have lived in various remote places in Wales, Scotland, Canada, and now on the north coast of Somerset, overlooking the coast of Wales. During these years I have written several books on Celtic art and history that have sold in Britain, USA and Australia, and used my own Celtic designs in various arts and crafts media. The designs have always contained some influence of Iona and my love for the island. You can see some of them at www.celticdelights.co.uk It was only much later when I was in my 50s that someone showed me a very fine enamelled silver pendant incorporating Celtic birds and knotwork in its design. The back was marked “AR IONA”. I began making enquiries as to who the maker was, and delving further into the story of Iona silverwork and the genius of Alexander and Euphemia Ritchie. The more I learned about this remarkable couple, the more I became an ardent admirer not only of their work but also of their lifestyle and extraordinary creative journey. Silverwork with the ‘Iona’ mark on it is unique, and remarkably has been produced continuously for over a hundred years - from the very early part of the 20th century to the present day. Its founders were Alexander and Euphemia Ritchie, who began their crafts shop in the Nunnery gardens on Iona in 1898, and lived permanently on the island from 1909. After their death there in 1941 Iain MacCormick, John Hart and others continued Iona jewellery. Recently in 1997 Mhairi Killin now continues the tradition of Iona silverwork, living and working on this tiny and unique Hebridean island. This website is a tribute to the remarkable creative genius of the Ritchies, and our intention is to show some fine examples of their work, as well as pictures of the wonderful environment and ancient carvings of Iona that inspired them on their lifelong journey of producing magnificent and unique Celtic crafts. We do hope you enjoy the site, and we welcome your comments and feedback. If you have any interesting digital pictures of unusual Alexander Ritchie Iona silver or brasswork items you would like to send us, we will be happy to include them on the site for others to enjoy. Many thanks to my special friend Christina in Florida, who is also a devotee of Iona and the work of the Ritchies, and has designed this website together with me. - David James |
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If you have enjoyed this website, which is updated and maintained on a completely non-profit basis - please consider making an online donation, however small to Christian Aid. We are in so many ways fortunate to be living in the Western World, and if we are able to recognise this, surely we can help our brothers and sisters in the Third World to help themselves to a better future. We are the ones in a fortunate position. |
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If you have photographs of Ritchie's work which you would like included, email David James at Davidsquirrels@aol.com. 
View my GuestbookGrateful thanks to Simant Bostock for the use of his beautiful pictures of Iona on this website. Simant has a vast photo-library of ancient sites, from megalithic to Celtic Christian, and ranging from The Hebrides to Malta. If you are looking for a specific picture for web or publishing purposes, please email simantbostock@i12.com. Thank you also to Virginia Hodgkinson for use of her photos. © 2004 by David James |
