It is the stunning use of minute and expertly arranged details that lends such marvelous beauty to the art of early Anglo-Saxon and Celtic cultures. From the fifth through the eighth centuries, Irish and Anglo-Saxon artists originated, cultivated, and perfected a style of art unparalleled and completely distinct from that of any other part of the world. Selected from incredibly rare illuminated manuscripts, this volume spotlights a wondrous variety of that ancient ornamental artwork.
Characteristically mingling decoration, script, and text, the fifty-three full-color plates shown here are alive with intertwined lacings, abstract animal figures, meticulously drawn letters, winding scrolls of foliate designs, and uniquely solemn religious imagery. For enthusiasts of such Celtic masterworks as The Book of Kells, as well as art students, designers, and art historians, this visual feast offers a wealth of insight into the style and evolution of a deeply inspiring—and much loved—antique cultural art.