A YORK ceramic artist is honouring the life of an inspiring Viking woman for a new city-wide trail in the city.
York Trailblazers, launches on Thursday - August 1 - Yorkshire Day and features giant tansy beetle sculptures.
Sarah Schiewe, founder of Schiewe Ceramics, has been working on a six foot framework, made by metalwork designer Tom Springett, for a month to create a metallic green tansy beetle sculpture using hand-built ceramic tiles.
It tells the story of The Coppergate Woman, a female Viking with disabilities who lived in York.
The trail aims to inspire residents to discover and celebrate the lives of some of York’s lesser-known residents.
The tansy beetle, an emblematic symbol of York, was chosen due to its unique connection to the city. York is one of only two places where tansy beetles are found.
Sarah, from Haxby, said: “We’re telling the stories of people who are important to York’s history but who wouldn’t usually get a mention.
“The Coppergate Woman - who’s been given the name ‘Vigdis’ by university researchers in York – lived with a lifelong disability; dysplasia of the right hip, widespread degenerative joint changes and/or arthritis and a congenial spine deformity. She walked with a severe limp and it’s likely she had to use crutches.
“In old Norse, the word Vigdis means ‘warrior’ and represents female strength. Vigdis is important because she tells us about life as a migrant woman living with disabilities in York 1,000 years ago.
“Vigdis is a bit of a mystery, but we know from her burial and old age that she was cared for and considered a part of the Viking community. This sculpture is about community – as is my business.”
Sarah has also created a range of Smôl Viking characters to go on top of the tansy beetle. Vigdis has been turned into one Smôl Viking, while the others represent the people from her community.
The sculpture follows Vigdis’ life through to her death. It includes a Viking longboat to show her making the journey to England as a child. It also shows the street where she lived near the River Foss, her at home - with a child, her grave, and her remains, which are on display at the Yorvik Viking Centre.
Each Smôl Viking character is unique - and inspired by someone in Sarah’s community. These include Louise Saw, Business Growth Manager for York Council, who’s been guiding and connecting Sarah through her new business venture, and Dom M’Benga, owner of the Hooting Owl Gin Distillery, who displays Sarah’s fine art sculpture in his lounge bar.
Sarah said: “I created this illustrated ceramic sculpture of Vigdis to share her unique story. She showed incredible strength and determination, and she is a testament to the enduring spirit of family and community in York.”
Sarah is one of 17 local artists who’ve created unique tansy beetle sculptures for the trail by York Civic Trust and Make It York, co-curated with organisations, community groups, schools and universities, made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This unique sculpture trail celebrates York's unsung heroes.
The Trailblazers project provides opportunities for York’s residents to discover these lesser-known people, many of whom are from their own neighbourhoods, who have made a difference to people’s lives either locally or globally.
Andrew Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of York Civic Trust said: “The York Trailblazers project has revealed a fantastic range of people from York, many of whom we did not know of before. With Make It York, it has been fantastic to collaborate with so many local artists and communities. We hope that this is the first of many such celebrations.”
The ‘Delma Tomlin’ sculpture is at Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and was researched by the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and York Centre for Early Music. The real Delma is a living trailblazer, and her achievements and energy are rarely matched.
As the founder of the National Centre for Early Music, based within the medieval church of St Margaret’s in Walmgate, Delma has been a pivotal figure in music making – focusing her energies on supporting young professional musicians locally, nationally and internationally – and flying the flag for York whenever possible.
A member of the York Merchant Adventurers Company, in 2022 Delma became the first woman to be Governor since the Company’s inauguration over 650 years ago in 1357. She doesn’t plan to be the last.
The trail launches runs until Monday, September 30.
Find full details on all the sculptures go to York Trailblazers hub page.
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