Tony Thomas, the Eisteddfod's Technical Officer and craftsman, usually works on huge projects such as the iconic letters that spell the word 'Eisteddfod' or the beautiful iron archway found on the outskirts of the Maes.
This year is a very different Eisteddfod, and Tony’s facing a completely different challenge too - to create the AmGen Eisteddfod Chair and Crown, at the Eisteddfod workshop in Llanybydder.
Creating a Chair and Crown for the National Eisteddfod is no mean feat. Usually, a craftsperson has months to come up with a plan and then has almost a year to create the prize. This year, Tony’s creating both main prizes - in just a few weeks. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Tony has been busy in the workshop working on the design and building a prototype before starting on the real awards.
He’s used ash wood for the Chair, which is sponsored by J&E Woodworks Ltd, Lampeter. He says. “I wanted the Chair to be made out of light wood. It's also very strong and flexible, which makes it perfect for creating an Eisteddfod Chair. We've been lucky to get the timber locally, and it's quite special that the Chair is being created within a few miles of where the trees fell a few years ago.”
And the design of the Chair is very impressive too. “I was inspired by the Gorsedd Stones. Blades of wood rise around the seat, just like the Gorsedd Circle on the Eisteddfod Maes. I thought this would work well especially as the Chair will be awarded during a Gorsedd ceremony – if we have a winner," he added.
There’s another element to the design, with the Stones also representing a hand, embracing the winner, as he or she is honoured by the Archdruid, with the concept of safeguarding our traditions and culture rooted deep in the concept.”
As Tony is creating both the Chair and the Crown this year, there’s a clear link between the two designs. He says, “I wanted to create a feeling of belonging, a link between the Chair and the Crown which we haven’t seen before.” Like the Chair, the idea of the Gorsedd Stones also appears on the Crown, and again, the concept of the hand embracing the winner seems clear here. The design is simple and effective, with everything done by hand. ”
Mahogany is the main timber in the Crown, with elements made from Welsh oak, and according to Tony, the creation of the Crown has been very meticulous. “The Crown’s been created by hand, and it’s been quite emotional to go back to the traditional way of working, especially as we use so many machines for everything today.
“Creating a Crown out of wood is quite a challenge. When working with metal, you can re-shape it if something goes wrong, but everything has to be perfect first time when you’re working with wood, or you just have to start again. And there are no screws or nails near the Chair or Crown. Everything fits together in the natural and traditional way.”
And while Tony is responsible for the design and is leading on making the Chair and the Crown, he has an old friend coming into the workshop to help him. Nicholas Williams, another of 'Hogia'r Maes' is helping Tony on the project, and they’re both hard at work completing one of the most elaborate and detailed projects they’ve ever worked on.
Nicky says, “It's great to come here to work on something different. Usually, we’ll be working on huge projects and installations for the Maes, so it’s been a completely new experience to work on the Eisteddfod Chair and Crown.”
And Tony adds, “We’ve both worked for the Eisteddfod for so many years and have seen Chairs and Crowns of all shapes and sizes come and go. We never thought we’d be working on my designs here in Llanybydder, creating the most famous prizes in Wales! It’s an amazing feeling, and we’ve got everything crossed that there’ll be great winners at the end of the process. I can’t wait to find out!”
This year’s ceremonies are held at the BBC’s Central Square centre in Cardiff, with the Crowning Ceremony held on Wednesday evening, 4 August. We’ll find out if there’s a winner for the Chair on Friday night, 6 August. The Eisteddfod’s annual volume of winning work and adjudications, the Cyfansoddiadau a Beirniadaethau is available to pre-order on the Eisteddfod website now, www.eisteddfod.wales
