Louise Pallister

Not all ‘Romans’ were Roman! Chesters Fort had a long history as a garrison for 500 cavalry but I was surprised to find that the cavalrymen came not from Rome but Asturias in Northern Spain. They were the Ala Secundae Asturum or Second Asturian Wing; skilled horsemen used to hilly terrain.

They relied on their horses and were well paid so they could provide for them. This included armour such as a protective face mask or chamfron. A leather chamfron decorated with copper alloy studs, (found at Vindolanda) was used as inspiration for this print. Thinking about the dramatic sight of Roman cavalry and the landscape they traversed in the name of empire, I decided to combine printmaking techniques.

The worn looking texture of monoprint on the map contours of the background and the lettering combine with the boldness of linocut for the armoured horse and the circular harness mount decoration (found at Chesters).