torque

Turning effect of force on an object. A turbine produces a torque that turns an electricity generator in a power station. Torque is measured by multiplying the force by its perpendicular distance from the turning point.

torque

Gold and enamel torque with horse-head decoration from Porogi Jampol Vinnica (or Vinnitsa), Ukraine, 1st century AD (Ethnographic Museum, Vinnica, Ukraine). Metal torques were a characteristic ornament of the Celts, who wore them around their necks and arms. Gold torques reflected the wearer's high status. Torques vary in design – some are completely covered in decoration while others, such as this example, are made of twisted gold wire, ornamented only at the terminals.

Prehistoric neck-ring ornament usually made of gold. They are found during the Bronze and Iron Age periods in Britain, Ireland, and northwestern Europe, particularly in Celtic cultures, where they exemplify the fine design of Celtic art.

Many torques have been found in bogs and lake depositions. An example is worn by the Dying Gaul in the statue from Pergamon in Asia Minor, and torques are mentioned as ornamentation around neck and wrists by the Greek geographer and historian Strabo in his description of the Celtic peoples.