The Sword of State Sculpture — The Sword of State sculpture is inspired by the Honours of Scotland.

Sculptor and Scene Stirling Digital cohort graduate Ken Elliott has unveiled his latest creation, an interpretation of the Sword of State that forms part of the Scottish Crown Jewels.

Here Ken explains what inspired the astonishing new work, which stands at 3 metres tall – nearly three times the size of the original historical artefact which can be found on display at Edinburgh Castle.

What influenced the design?

While researching the royal history of Stirling and Perth, I became intrigued by the history of the Honours of Scotland – informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels.

Dating back to the 15th and 16th century, they were used at coronations from Mary Queen of Scots to Charles II and are the oldest surviving crown jewels in the British Isles.

Motivated by the excitement of Stirling’s success in the early rounds of the City of Culture bid and a sense of fun, I decided to create a hands-on representation of the historic sword which dates back to 1507 – a special gift from the Pope to James IV.

The key design features of the sculpture originate from the description of the sword found on the Kinneff Old church website – one of the locations were the crown jewels were hidden from Oliver Cromwell’s Army.

What were the most challenging parts of the process?

Creating the complex curves of the cross-guard and the handle required careful heating of the aluminum to soften and prevent it from cracking and breaking as it is bent around.

Does it have any special features?

The sword is detachable from the base so it can be grasped in both hands, similar to a Claymore – albeit an oversized one!

I liked the idea of creating a piece of work that can be held, enabling the holder to imagine it as a weapon of war or be transported back in time to one of the ceremonies confirming 16th century Kings and Queens at Scone Abbey and Stirling Castle.

It’s also just fun to feel the weight on the arms, look down the blade, and imagine a leading part in a famous movie, all of the time suppressing the urge to cry out ‘freedom’!

Is it heavy?

Made from aluminum strips it is not as heavy as it looks, about as heavy as 3 bags of sugar. But it still takes the strength of both arms to hold it aloft.

Do you have any plans for it to go on display?

During this year’s Forth Valley Art Beat (11-19 June 2022) the sword will be on display in my open studio/sculpture garden.

Watch out my entry in the brochure for more details!