Young King Arthur

Young King Arthur Ornament

s I was considering different subjects that would capture the interests of little boys, I decided to research iconic medieval characters. Thus, I discovered the character richness of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Certainly, these characters would, for sure, appeal to boys, and girls too. Indeed, an era where princesses, kings, wizards, dragons, and knights ruled the world was the perfect theme for my ornaments. Hence, I chose to embark on a special journey to the medieval ages. Therefore, much research went into the design of these ornaments. Consequently, I incorporated lots of details that make these ornaments extraordinarily memorable. And so, this Young King Arthur ornament came about. Pair this ornament with others in this collection, like the Sir Lancelot ornament, or even Excalibur!

Young King Arthur Ornament Design Process

Who is King Arthur?

King Arthur was the son of King Uther Pendragon and Queen Igraine. The kingdom was in turmoil at the time of his birth. Merlin, a prophet himself and the court’s wizard, foresaw that the King would soon be dead. Thus, Merlin and King Uther Pendragon were afraid for the safety of the child. King Uther entrusted baby Arthur to Sir Ector of Bonmaison. So, not even Arthur was aware of his lineage. Many years passed with Arthur believing himself to be the son of Sir Ector. Arthur became a squire although he received a well-rounded education.

The Sword in the Stone

I used Howard Pyle’s book (Pyle, Howard. The Story of King Arthur and His Knights. , 2016. Print.) as reference for my design of the Young King Arthur ornament. Because this book has very vivid descriptions, it was the perfect source of inspiration.

The legend says that “Whose pull the sword from the anvil, that same is the right-wise king-born of England.” So, Arthur, “a beardless boy,” was about 18 years old when he pulled the sword from the stone and claimed his “birthright of royalty.”

The Design

This is the moment that I depicted in the Young King Arthur ornament. As Howard Pyle describes him, I dressed him in “flame-colored raiment.” Some of the vestments are “embroidered with threads of silver” and some in gold.

Some versions of King Arthur’s story show him pulling the sword from a stone in the woods, although Pyle’s version shows him pulling the sword from an anvil that sits on top of a marble block. So I hand-molded the anvil and marble stone using bake-cla with the sword set in. Although Arthur was yet to be a knight, he still carried a sword, so I gave him a small dagger hanging from his belt. Finally, the rich red-gold-silver medallion gives us a hint of the royal life he is about to embrace.

Specifications

Year Designed

2018

Size

Actual size may vary, approximately 1.75” x 1.75” x 3.5”

Materials

Yarn, fabric, cardboard, ribbons, old jewelry, beads, sequins, plastic gemstones, leather, charms, bake-clay, food-picks.

Note: Given the handmade nature of the ornament, all ornaments are different. The pictures depict just one sample of the ornament.