Dunedain Star Brooch...

[Kiriana]

You would like the Kingdom of Ansteorra's device then for SCA.. http://www.ansteorra.org/ although I never did like how the main 5 pointed star was fat.

[Faolan]

I actually like the star they have on the map of Ansteorra, it doesn't look as chunky at the heraldic device on the shield above. Maybe because the "N" in the middle fools the eye. I'll see if I can fire up GIMP and play with something.

Faolan

[kaelln]

Not meaning to throw out a monkey wrench here, but the Star of Ansteorra is a ten-pointed star. It's two five-pointed stars nested. Greg actually did an awesome job with an eight-pointed star back on page 5 of this post. Here's another one:

http://infullbloom.us/wp-content/upload ... s-Rose.png

[Mirimaran]

I'm glad that this thread has been brought back up! Whatever design we settle on, I'd love to see one that we could use as a group! Let's get the ball rolling on that!

[Faolan]

I've been fiddling with this on and off today. . .



Nowhere near done though.

Faolan

[Ernildir]

I'd love to see us wearing a uniform star brooch as well. I'm flexible as to the number of rays, but would y'all please critique my understanding of the ray number? I currently believe the star has six rays, because of this passage in Tolkien's index to The Lord of the Rings.

"Star, as emblem: (1) Star of the House of Feanor; (2) Star of Elendil, the Elendilmir, as Emblem of the North Kingdom; (3) Seven stars (above a crown and anvil), Emblems of Durin; (4) Seven stars, of Elendil and his captains. (1) and (3) had eight rays; (2) and (4) had six."

Do you think this is an irrefutable evidence that Tolkien wanted the star to have six rays, or is it still debatable/uncertain? This passage really makes it look to me as if the star must have six rays, but I know I don't have perfect skills of discernment, which is why I'm asking you if you're reading/understanding this the same way I am.

[Willrett]

I say we go with what everyone agrees to.

[Ernildir]

I say we go with what everyone agrees to.

I agree. I don't know how realistic the idea of getting a number of these brooches made actually is, though. I would expect it to be an expensive venture. Anyway, regardless of the number of rays, maybe we could have some kind of a contest in which everyone submits their star designs and the community votes on them. The most popular star can become a reality if it's realistically possible for that to happen. I'd buy one.

[Faolan]

This is a scan from J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator by Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull, It's a design for a dust jacket drawn by Tolkien and submitted to the Allen and Unwin publishers. It was deemed too expensive to print though.




A partial description of the design. . . "Drawn and painted on black paper, it features the empty throne of Gondor awaiting the return of the King. Within the circle of the throne - in place of the One Ring, destroyed in the course of the volume - is the winged crown of Gondor, 'shaped like the helms of the Guards of the Citadel, save that it was loftier, and it was all in white, and the wings at either side were wrought of pearl and silver in the likeness of the wings of a sea-bird, for it was the emblem of kings who came over the Sea. . .within this in tengwar are the initials L ND L, the monogram of Elendil, the first High King of Arnor and Gondor.. . . Above the seat is the White Tree of Gondor with seven flowers, and the Seven Stars that were the emblem of Elendil and his heirs.

[E.MacKermak]

I say we go with what everyone agrees to.

I agree. I don't know how realistic the idea of getting a number of these brooches made actually is, though. I would expect it to be an expensive venture. Anyway, regardless of the number of rays, maybe we could have some kind of a contest in which everyone submits their star designs and the community votes on them. The most popular star can become a reality if it's realistically possible for that to happen. I'd buy one.

If we settle on a design, I bet I can find someone who can make these. I have a few contacts from the SCA who do brass and bronze casting and it usually isn't too expensive, even for small runs. Could probably do pewter as well, but I am not sure how well that would wear.

[Ernildir]

Wow... thank you very much for showing that. It's great to know that Tolkien actually drew the stars with five rays at some point. That gives a lot of strength to the five-ray position, obviously. So how would you reconcile this with the passage from the index? Do you think Tolkien could have changed his mind from five rays to six, or the other way around? Or do you think he made a mistake? Or am I missing something?

Thanks!

[Ernildir]

I say we go with what everyone agrees to.

I agree. I don't know how realistic the idea of getting a number of these brooches made actually is, though. I would expect it to be an expensive venture. Anyway, regardless of the number of rays, maybe we could have some kind of a contest in which everyone submits their star designs and the community votes on them. The most popular star can become a reality if it's realistically possible for that to happen. I'd buy one.

If we settle on a design, I bet I can find someone who can make these. I have a few contacts from the SCA who do brass and bronze casting and it usually isn't too expensive, even for small runs. Could probably do pewter as well, but I am not sure how well that would wear.

That would be really cool.

[Kiriana]

Oh yeah we would get some as well. If there becomes a design, Erich can contact our SCA friends who do casting and maybe get a few quotes. They always love to practice their craft.

[Faolan]

It wouldn't be a hard design to do, a simple 5-pointed star, maybe with some etching like the forum design to dress it up some.

Pewter would probably be the best material, you can get blocks of it from places like Jas. Townsend's and it's lead free/low temp melt point.

Ernildhir, Tolkien was constantly making revisions to his work, even after publication. The change from 5-point to 6-point may have just been one of those revisions. I will have to dig into the "History of Middle Earth" books to see if there is any mention of the design there.


Faolan

[Mirimaran]

I am all for any reproductions! I think that a consensus should be taken on the design and a cost estimate made up and go from there. Here's a pic of me wearing one I cut out of steel a few years ago for Faire. I was asked if I was a Sheriff all day lol I did get to reply that I was a Ranger of the North!



Ken