Chapter VI · CELTIC ART OF THE CHRISTIAN PERIOD (continued 2)

DETAIL OF ORNAMENT ON THE TARA BROOCH IN THE MUSEUM OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY, DUBLIN

There are several beautiful penannular brooches in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, at Edinburgh, most of which are described and illustrated in Dr. J. Anderson’s Scotland in Early Christian Times series. The finest of these is the Hunterston Brooch,[425] which has a Runic inscription upon it and is decorated with interlaced-work, zoömorphs, and spiralwork almost equal to that on the Tara Brooch. The Cadboll Brooch[426] from Rogart, Sutherlandshire, and a brooch from Perth[427] are also very beautiful examples.

The best examples of early Irish ornamental leatherwork are the satchel of the Book of Armagh[428] in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, and the satchel of St. Moedog’s reliquary[429] in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy. The patterns on the former consist of interlaced-work and zoömorphs, and those on the latter of interlaced-work only. There are also specimens of leather shoes in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy with Celtic ornament upon them.[430]

There are very few objects of wood or bone now in existence which exhibit Celtic ornament of the Christian period.