Clonduff Woman

Dimensions - 168cm high x 70cm long x 30cm wide
Weight - 47.340Kg (Including the base)

When I first saw this amazing piece of bog oak which was unearthed near Clonduff Bog in County Laois I genuinely thought that it could possibly have been a human body lying in the foetal position having been buried in the bog for thousands of years. As a result of peat harvesting many bog bodies which were buried in the bogs have been found phenomenally well preserved. The oldest fleshed bog body ever to have been found was discovered in Cashel bog in County Laois (Ireland) and was called Cashel man. Archaeologist reports identified that Cashel man was the victim of human sacrifice and had lived and died in the Early Bronze Age around 2000BC. Anyway I got the hammer and chisel from the jeep and determined that the torso entombed in this slab of boq oak was in fact wood and not bone. I chain-sawed the torso from the slab of bog oak and revealed an emaciated female form, holding something in her arms and appeared to be pleading for help. I visualised a desperate mother clutching her starving new born child during "An Gorta Mor" (Great Irish Famine) The original wood grain is uniquely twisted, gnarled and incredibly preserved. It is a wonder to ponder up close and physically touch. Please enjoy the photos - if Clonduff woman and child touches a chord with you and you would like to physically see her please contact us on our contact page.