The enamelled baldric of Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray (c 1280–1332)
Scottish or French enamelling?
Thomas Randolph, Ist Earl of Moray, Enamel, Robert I, Baldric, Forests, Bird and Animal decoration, Paris
Paris, France; Scotland, UK
Medieval
Abstract
The baldric of Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray (died 1332), a companion in arms of King Robert I, was made in the first half of the 14th century and taken to England before 1604, since which time it has been attached to the Savernake horn, now in the British Museum. It is elaborately decorated with champlevé and translucent enamel, and bears the arms of argent three cushions gules within a royal tressure, which were adopted by Thomas Randolph after he was created Earl of Moray in 1312. The baldric shows Scottish heraldry and ownership, and so appears to be an example of Scottish enamelling. This article examines both the enamel decoration and the life of Thomas Randolph and suggests that there is a greater probability that it was made in France, possibly Paris or Avignon, rather than Scotland.
