necklace was named for the warrior queen of the Iceni tribe in ancient Britain who led a revolt against the occupying Roman Empire in around 60 AD. The Roman historian Tacitus describes this fiery woman in de Boudicca was married to Prasutagus, ruler of the Iceni people of East Anglia. When the Romans conquered southern England in AD 43, they allowed Prasutagus to continue to rule. However, when Prasutagus died the Romans decided to rule the Iceni directly and confiscated the property of the leading tribesmen. They are also said to have stripped and flogged Boudicca and raped her daughters. These actions exacerbated widespread resentment at Roman rule.
In 60 or 61 AD, while the Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paullinus was leading a campaign in North Wales, the Iceni rebelled. Members of other tribes joined them.
Boudicca's warriors successfully defeated the Roman Ninth Legion and destroyed the capital of Roman Britain, then at Colchester. They went on to destroy London and Verulamium (St Albans). Thousands were killed. Finally, Boudicca was defeated by a Roman army led by Paulinus. Many Britons were killed and Boudicca is thought to have poisoned herself to avoid capture. The site of the battle, and of Boudicca's death, are unknown.
The brooch that was the starting point for this piece is found in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. It is Roman and estimated to have been made around 100 - 300 AD. It is made of enamel and metal and the description from the museum follows: “Millefiore enameling was widely popular in Gaul, where it was often used to decorate disk brooches and vessels. In this technique, the artist fuses together glass rods of different colors. The multicolored rods are then cut into cross sections, which are placed in a metal base and heated sufficiently for them to adhere. The result is an intricate pattern of flowers and checkerboards.”
My interpretation in designing Boudicca was to bezel semi-precious stones and join them together with brick stitch.
Intermediate