Dear Sylvina,

I realise I am creating more confusion --in the post-Roman period hanging-bowls were only made in Britain and later - 8th c onwards - in Irish territories. My reference to imports or loot meant from the rest of Britain into Anglo-Saxon terrritories in the sixth and seventh centuries.  So AT ALL and UK (then Ireland) are the same for medieval celtic hanging bowls. It's a very specialised area!

That does make your Craig Phadrig mould a very special survival, but there is such variety in the mounts on the bowls (eg the Sutton Hoo ship burial 3, all different) and they go on for so long that similar bowls must have been made not just in Pictland but in many places west and north of the Anglo-Saxons and eventually inside the terrritories that were conquered.

The only evidence for all this is just your mould. It is very,very similar to the metal mount on a hanging bowl found at Castle Tioram, Moidart, and given the rarity of bowl finds in Scotland that is confirmation we are looking at a real Highland product.  There is a waster, a mis-cast mount of a different style that was found in Wiltshire after river dredging, plus a slightly controversial lead piece from Birsay which may be a model,  to be absolutely accurate.. but that is all the evidence for manufacture we have for all types.

Thank you for your kind reply,  a bit annoying to be sent a correction.

Best wishes,

Susan