Celtic Art

Texte du rabat

The construction principles of Celtic art were re-discovered in the middle of the 20th century by George Bain. Until his writing, the intricate knots, interlacings, and spirals used in illuminating The Book of Kells and in decorating craftwork and jewelry seemed almost impossible, "the work of angels." In this pioneering work, George Bain shows how simple principles, no more difficult than those used in needlecraft, were used to create some of the finest artistic works ever seen. He also explains how you can use these principles in re-creating artifacts and in creating your own Celtic designs for art and craft work or even for recreational use.
Step-by-step procedures carefully introduce the simple rules and methods of Celtic knot work and the well-known designs from the great manuscripts and stone work. Later chapters build up to complex knot work, spiral work, and key pattern designs, with special coverage of alphabets and the stylized use of animals, humans, and plants. Altogether over 225 different patterns are presented for your use, with hundreds of modification suggestions, 110 historical and modern artifacts showing designs in use, a great number of letters including six complete alphabets and 25 decorative initials, and a number of animal and human figures used in the original Celtic works.
Artists, students, craftspeople, even children can work with these patterns and instructions for creating dynamic designs for use in leather work, in embroidery and other needle work, in metalwork, jewelry making, card design, borders, panels, illuminations, and in countless other ways. Mathematicians will find a great deal of pleasure in the geometric principles on which the patterns are based. Art historians and others interested in studying Celtic art will find a great number of outstanding art works and the best presentation in English for understanding Celtic design.

Contenu

Frontispieces
THE TARA BROOCH
THE CRUCIFORM PAGE FROM THE LINDISFARNE GOSPELS
Preface
Introduction
Knotwork Borders
Introduction
A. Precursors of Celtic Interlacings
B. The methods of construction

1. General principles for designing Celtic Knotwork
2. General principles of methods of construction
3. Simple Celtic interlacing borders
4. Celtic Knotwork borders
5. Applications to craftwork for simple interlacings
6. Border designs and their application to circles
7. Knotwork borders
8. Interlacing borders
9. Interlacing borders
10. Interlacing borders
11. Further border designs
12. Method of doubling interlacings
13. Method of mitring
14. Method of mitring
    C. Construction of ornaments, Monymusk Reliquary
    D. Construction of Viking ornament, Lewis
    Knowwork Panels
    E. Examples from Gospels of Lindisfarne and Book of Kells
    F. Comparison of similar designs at Salisbury and in Perthshire, Angus and Caithness
    G. Design on cross-slab at Ulbster, Caithness
    H. Panel from Book of Kells
15. Simple Knotwork Panels
16. Knotwork Panel in Pictish proportions
17. Variations from Plates 1 and 2 from Book of Kells
18. Example of continuity -- St. Madoes Stone
19. Further methods of constructing Knotwork Panels
20. Examples from Ulbster and Strathmartin Stones
21. Reptile Knotwork Panels, Shandwick Stone also panel from Lindisfarne, St. Vigeans, Dunfallandy, Eassie and McDurnan
22. Panels common to Lindisfarne, Ulbster, Collieburn and Glammis
23. Construction of Nigg Stone Panel
24. Example from a Book of Durrow border
25. Irish and Pictish Knotwork -- Durrow
26. Unit from Book of Durrow
27. Knotwork in circular panels. Shandwick Stone and Book of Kells
28. Circular panels -- Boko of Kells and Hilton of Cadbol Stone
    I. Construction orders -- Plate II, Book of Durrow
    J. Completed design -- Plate II, Book of Durrow
    K. Design from Page of Eight Circled Cross, Kells
    L. Interlacing in Rossie Priory Stone
    Spirals
    Introduction
    M. Aberlemno Stone -- use of Triskele in all-over repeats. Examples of travesties of this design made in the past
29. Methods of constructing spirals
30. Construction of spiral centres
31. Spirals and breaking into trumpets
32. Joining spirals -- Kells and Aberlemno examples
33. Spiral centers from ancient British and Pictish enamel work
34. Examples of spiral centres from M.S.S. and enamel work
35. Spiral groups -- Book of Durrow
36. Spirals -- Kells and Lindisfarne
37. Spiral Borders
38. Borders and Terminals from M.S.S. and Ornamented Stones
39. Spiral panel and Hilton of Cadboll Stone
40. Panel on Shandwick Stone
41. All-over spiral patterns -- M.S.S. and stones
42. Examples from Kells and Lindisfarne
    Key Patterns
    Introduction
    N. Key pattern on arm of Aberlemno Cross showing earlier travesties
43. The construction of Key patterns
44. Key pattern borders and mitring
45. Patterns from Rosemarkie Stone and Lindisfarne
46. Key pattern borders and panels
47. Treatment of Nigg Stone and comparison with Maya Keys
48. Nigg Stone Key panel and variations
49. Key patterns -- Nigg, Kells and Lindisfarne
50. Comparison of methods by Welsh and Pictish designers in Pembrokeshire and Ross-shire
51. Reconstruction of panel -- Collieburn Stone Kells border and terminal
52. Comparison of Aberlemno, Aberlady and Lindisfarne keys
53. Examples of the minute accuracy of Kells scribes. Comparison of Kells and Farr Stone Keys
54. Further work of Kells scribes. Comparison of Rosemarkie, St. Chads and Kells keys
55. Application of key patterns to panels
56. Comparison of designs from Mezin, Russia (b.c. 20,000--b.c. 15,000), Kells Lindisfarne and Farr
    Lettering
    Introduction
57. Kells script, quill formation
58. Celtic small and capital "A" from Books of Durrow, Kells and Lindisfarne
59. Letters B, C, and D
60. Letters E, F, G
61. Letters H, I, J, L
62. Letters M, N, O
63. Letters P, Q, R, 4th-6th century
64. Letters S, T
65. Letters U, V, W, X, Y, Z
66. Celtic alphabets of late 7th century and 4th-6th century
67. Ornamented Celtic capital letters
68. Ornamented capitals from Kells and Durrow
69. Ornamented capitals from Book of Kells
70. Symbols and contractions from Celtic M.S.S. and language problems from inscribed stones
71. Celtic type from an Irish book of 1711
    Zoomorphics
    Introduction
    O. Detail from Plate XIX -- Kells Studio edition
    P. Designs with human figures
    Q. All-over drop repeat from Lindisfarne Gospels
    R. Construction of design on "Initium Evangeli" page of Kells
    S. Panel from Kells page of Eight circled Cross
72. Bird Motifs in Lindisfarne Interlacing Ornaments
73. Treatments of Birds, heads, top-knots, necks, bodies, wings, tails, legs and toes in Book of Kells.
74. Birds as ornament motifs. Kells
75. Bird ornaments, Kells and Tara Brooch
76. Birds as interlacing ornaments -- Kells, MacRegol and Meigle Stone
77. Reptiles as Interlacing ornaments -- Kells
78. Reptiles as Interlacing ornaments -- Kells
79. Dog-like Animals -- Kells
80. Animals as Interlacing Ornaments -- Kells
81. Semi-realistical and mythical Animals -- Scottish Stones and Kells
82. "Living Things of the Earth" -- Kells Christ Monogram Page
83. Interlacing Human Figures -- Clonmacnoise and Meigle Stones and Kells XPI Monogram Page
84. Figures in Ornament -- Clonmacnoise and Kells
85. Interlaced Human male figures -- Kells
    T. Knotwork adapted to irregular shapes -- Plate XI Letter T -- Kells
    U. Kells designs -- Plates I, III, XII, and XIV
    Plant Forms
    Introduction -- The Celtic Tree of Life
    V. Designs from Kells Plates II, IV, XIV, and XVII also Meigle and Monifieth Stones
    A1. "Tree of Life" designs -- Kells
    A2. "Tree of Life" symbol -- Kells, Cadboll, …