Details on the Inscription of the Western Gate of Moria

[Berenanu]

Hi Friends,

I'm planning to make a huge badge/sticker of the western gate of moria for a door at home. So I had to redraw the whole thing... and even the inscription was no problem with the right font.

But can anyone tell me something about the three letters in the upper corner and below in the middle ?

Here is a photo composition of the sticker and the known drawing out of the book:
http://www.woebking.net/images/t_moriagate_photo.jpg (http://www.woebking.net/images/moriagate_photo.jpg) http://www.woebking.net/images/t_moriagate_scan.jpg (http://www.woebking.net/images/moriagate_scan.jpg)
(Click on the pics for bigger ones)

Thanks,
Berenanu

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Don't take this as gospel, but it looks to me as though they're the initials of the people mentioned in the inscription; hence clockwise from top left: Celebrimbor, Narvi, Durin. I'll check this in my books this evening.

[Durelin]

I think Squatter's right. I recall them as the initials of the craftsmen who made it (and who were listed in the inscription as such). Who were Celebrimbor, Narvi, and Durin? I cannot remember for certain either.

Very nice idea! Making it larger and putting it on an entirely glass door would be quite interesting...it would likely have to be a rather wide door, though, for it to look right. :D

[mhagain]

Yup.

"The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak (say?) friend and enter. (I Navri made them, Celebrimbor of Hollin wrote these signs)", if I remember correctly.

I must say, your door looks fantastic, well done on a good job.

[Berenanu]

Very nice idea! Making it larger and putting it on an entirely glass door would be quite interesting...it would likely have to be a rather wide door, though, for it to look right. :D

In the next step perhaps I'll swap the door against a entirely glass door, but for the first look I'll only change the glass inset.
Anyway I had to stretch the whole thing, because in the original proportions you need to have a door of 140 cm width. So the columns and trees at the side are lengthend somewhat.
Beside of that I'll use adhesive film with the look of etched glass, so that light can shine through (translating word-by-word it's called sandblasting effect film, don't know how it's called in english)

http://www.woebking.net/images/t_moriator_short.jpg (http://www.woebking.net/images/moriator_short.jpg) http://www.woebking.net/images/t_moriator_long.jpg (http://www.woebking.net/images/moriator_long.jpg)
(Click on the pics for bigger ones)

So it has the proportions more of a door than a gate, but I can't change that ;)

But the initials seems to be correct, even they are somewhat "squiggly" (Sindarin in the mode of Beleriand, not the standard-mode):

http://www.woebking.net/images/initials.jpg