CELTIC ORNAMENT: ART OF THE SCRIBE

The early Celtic artists in Britain and Ireland drew upon an even more ancient tradition and heritage to create beautifully patterned jewellery, metal work and carvings. The arrival of Celtic Christianity transformed their artistry into the glorification of God and can be seen in the magnificantly illustrated manuscripts typified by the Book of Kells, Book of Durrow and the Lindisfarne Gospels. Drawing upon these strands, the noted modern Celtic artist Courtney Davis celebrates in this book the "art of the scribe", presenting afresh the intricacy and beauty inherent in the Celtic ornamentation. With examples from the famous manuscripts and gospels and other works, he reinterprets in graphic detail the skills and intricacies of the Celtic scribes and their comptemplative but highly creative lives.