Introduction

BY

J. ROMILLY ALLEN, F.S.A.

WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS

METHUEN & CO.
36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON

First Published in 1904

CONTENTS

PAGE

Preface xv

CHAPTER I

The Continental Celts and How they Came to Britain

CHAPTER II

Pagan Celtic Art in the Bronze Age

CHAPTER III

Pagan Celtic Art in the Early Iron Age

CHAPTER IV

Pagan Celtic Art in the Early Iron Age

CHAPTER V

Pagan Celtic Art in the Early Iron Age

CHAPTER VI

Celtic Art of the Christian Period

CHAPTER VII

Celtic Art of the Christian Period

CHAPTER VIII

Celtic Art of the Christian Period

Index

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
IN THE TEXT

PAGE

The Hallstatt Sword

Ornament on bronze sword-sheath from La Tène

Gaulish helmet of bronze from Gorge-Meillet

Chevron patterns of the Bronze Age 27-36

Bronze spear-heads ornamented with rows of dots

Gold lunula from Killarney

Longitudinal section of chamber and passage of Tumulus

at Newgrange, Co. Meath

Plan of chamber and passage of Tumulus at Newgrange, Co. Meath

Spiral ornament at Newgrange, Co. Meath

Slab with spiral ornament outside entrance to passage of

Tumulus at Newgrange, Co. Meath

Spiral ornament on bronze axe-head from Denmark

Bronze axe-head with spiral ornament from Sweden

Winding-band (curved swastika), sculptured on rock near

Ilkley, Yorkshire

Cup-and-ring sculptures on rock at Ilkley, Yorkshire

Bronze sword-sheaths from Hunsbury

Silver-gilt fibulæ found in Northumberland

Bronze beaded torque from Lochar Moss, Dumfriesshire

Late-Celtic bronze spoon from Brickhill Lane, London

Late-Celtic bronze spoon from Crosby Ravensworth, Westmoreland

Late-Celtic spoon, one of a pair, from Weston, near Bath

Late-Celtic urns from Shoebury, Essex

Late-Celtic bronze mirror from Trelan Bahow, Cornwall

Bronze sword-sheath from Hunsbury

Late-Celtic pottery from the Glastonbury Lake Village

Late-Celtic wooden tub found at the Glastonbury Lake Village

Handles of pair of Late-Celtic spoons from Weston, near Bath

Engraved bone object from Slieve-na-Caillighe, Co. Meath

Fibula of bronze-gilt from Æsica

Collar from Broighter, Limavady, Co. Londonderry

Spiral ornament in illuminated MS copied from repoussé metalwork

Shading of parallel lines

Cross-hatching placed diagonally

Cross-hatching placed diagonally, with dots

Cross-hatching of double lines placed diagonally

Chequerwork grass-matting shading

Engine-turned shading

Dotted shading

Swastika design on shield from the Thames

Engraved ornament found at the Glastonbury Lake village

Handles of bronze bowl found at Barlaston, Staffordshire

Handle of bronze bowl from Chesterton-on-Fossway, Warwickshire

Handle of bronze bowl from Chesterton-on-Fossway, Warwickshire

Spiral ornament from the Book of Durrow

Cross-slab from Pen-Arthur, Pembrokeshire

Erect cross-slab at St. Madoes, Perthshire

Cross at Penmon, Anglesey

Great wheel-cross of Conbelin at Margam Abbey, Glamorganshire

Cross at Neuadd Siarman, near Builth, Brecknockshire

Cross at Nevern, Pembrokeshire

Pin-brooch from Clonmacnois, King’s Co.

Pierced marble screen at Ravenna

Regular plaitwork without any break

Method of making breaks in plaitwork

Regular plaitwork, with one vertical break and one horizontal break

Six-cord plait, with horizontal breaks at regular intervals

Cross-shaft at Golden Grove, Carmarthenshire

Cross-shaft at Llantwit Major, Glamorganshire

Eight-cord plaits, with cruciform breaks ,

Six-cord plait, with cruciform breaks

Ten-cord plait, with cruciform breaks

Knots derived from a three-cord plait

Diagrams of knotwork ,

Method of deriving knots Nos. 3 and 6 from a four-cord plait

Knots Nos. 4, 5, 7, and 8 derived from a four-cord plait

Knot No. 1, derived from either a three-cord or a six-cord plait

Knots 3 and 4, derived from a six-cord plait

Evolution of knot No. 1 from a six-cord plait

Evolution of knot No. 7 from an eight-cord plait ,

Diagrams of knotwork

Knotwork from Ramsbury, Wilts, and Nigg, Ross-shire

Circular knotwork from Tarbet, Ross-shire

Circular knotwork from Monasterboice, Co. Louth

Triangular knotwork from Ulbster, Caithness

Triangular knotwork from Dunfallandy, Perthshire

Key-patterns ,

Shaft of cross of Eiudon at Golden Grove, Carmarthenshire

Erect cross-slab at Rosemarkie, Ross-shire

Methods of connecting spirals

Tree key-pattern, Meigle, Perthshire

Key-pattern border from the Book of Kells

Method of connecting spirals

LIST OF PLATES

I. Grave of a Gaulish warrior at Sesto-Calende, Italy To face page

Bronze fibulæ of La Tène type from the cemeteries

of the Marne

II. Bronze armlet of the La Tène period from Germany ”

Bronze armlet of the La Tène period from Longirod (Vaud)

Bronze armlet of the La Tène period from the cemeteries

of the Marne

III. Gaulish helmet of bronze from Berru (Marne) ”

IV. Cinerary urn of Bronze Age from Lake, Wilts, ”

now in the British Museum. Height 1 ft. 3¼ ins.

V. Bronze Age urn of “Incense-Cup” type from Aldbourne, Wilts, ”

now in the British Museum. Height 3½ ins.

Bronze Age urn of “Food-Vessel” type from Alwinton,

Northumberland, now in the British Museum. Height 5 ins.

VI. Bronze Age urn of “Drinking-Cup” type from Lakenheath, ”

Suffolk, now in the British Museum. Height 7½ ins.

VII. Spiral ornament on stone ball from Towie, Aberdeenshire, ”

now in the Edinburgh Museum. Scale 1/1 linear

Winding-band curved swastika on sword-hilt from Denmark

Bronze sword-hilt with winding-band pattern from Denmark

Bronze sword-hilt with spiral ornament from Denmark

VIII. Bronze mirror from Birdlip, Gloucestershire, now in the ”

Gloucester Museum. R. W. Dugdale, photo

IX. Iron dagger with bronze hilt and sheath from the River Witham ”

X. Bronze harness-rings from Polden Hill, Somersetshire, ”

now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear

XI. Late-Celtic bronze fibula from Walmer, Kent, now in the ”

British Museum. Scale ¾ linear

Late-Celtic fibula from Ireland, now in the

Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin

Enamelled bronze fibula from Risingham, Northumberland,

now in the Newcastle Museum

Bronze fibula from Water Eaton, Oxon, now in the

British Museum. Scale ¼ linear

XII. Bronze fibula from Clogher, Co. Tyrone, now in the ”

British Museum. Scale 1/1 linear

Late-Celtic bronze fibula (locality unknown), now in the

British Museum. Scale 1/1 linear

S-shaped enamel bronze fibula (locality unknown), now in the

British Museum. Scale 1/1 linear

S-shaped fibula of enamelled bronze from Norton, E. Riding

of Yorkshire, now in the British Museum. Scale 1/1 linear

XIII. Bronze fibula from Polden Hill, Somersetshire, now in the ”

British Museum, side view. Scale ¾ linear

Bronze fibula from Polden Hill, Somersetshire, now in the

British Museum, front view. Scale ¾ linear

Bronze fibula from River Churn, now in the

British Museum, front view. Scale 1/1 linear

Bronze fibula from River Churn, now in the

British Museum, side view. Scale 1/1 linear

XIV. Bronze hook-and-disc ornament from Ireland, now in the ”

Dublin Museum

Bronze pin enamelled from Danes’ Graves near Driffield, Yorkshire

Bronze disc fibula with Late-Celtic ornament from Silchester, now

at Strathfieldsaye House. S. Victor White, of Reading, photo

XV. Bronze beaded torque from Mowroad, near Rochdale. Scale ¾ linear ”

Bronze collar from Wraxhall, now in the Bristol Museum

XVI. Bronze armlets from the Culbin Sands, now at Altyre, ”

near Forres, N.B.

XVII. Late-Celtic bronze mirror in the Mayer Museum, ”

Liverpool (locality unknown)

XVIII. Late-Celtic pottery from Hunsbury, now in the Northampton ”

Museum

XIX. Late-Celtic pottery from Yarnton, Oxfordshire, ”

now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear

Late-Celtic pottery from Kent’s Cavern near Torquay, Devonshire,

now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear

XX. Granite monolith with Late-Celtic sculpture at Turoe, ”

Co. Galway. Height of stone 4 ft.Reproduced from

a photograph by Mr. A. McGoogan illustrating

Mr. George Coffey’s paper in the

Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy

XXI. Cruciform harness-mounting of bronze enamelled ”

(locality unknown),now in the British Museum. Scale 1/1 linear

Bronze enamelled harness-mounting from Polden Hill,

Somersetshire, now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear

XXII. Upper part of bronze sword-sheath from Lisnacroghera Co., ”

now in the British Museum

Lower part of bronze sword-sheath from Lisnacroghera Co.,

now in the British Museum

XXIII. Handle of Late-Celtic bronze tankard, Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire ”

now in the Mayer Museum, Liverpool

Bridle-bit of bronze enamelled, from Rise near Hull,

now in the British Museum. Scale ½ linear

XXIV. Detail of ornament on Late-Celtic bronze shield from the Thames ”

at Battersea, now in the British Museum

XXV. Circular disc of bronze with repoussé ornament from Ireland, ”

now in the British Museum

Bronze enamelled harness-ring from Westhall, Suffolk,

now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear

XXVI. Cast of metal object (locality unknown) from the Albert Way ”

Collection, now in the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries,

Burlington House

Cover of the Stowe Missal, in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy,

Dublin (A.D. 1023 to 1052)

XXVII. Erect cross-slab in Aberlemno Churchyard, Forfarshire. ”

John Patrick, of Edinburgh, photo

XXVIII. Bronze bell with engraved ornament from Lough Lene Castle, ”

Co. Westmeath, in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy

XXIX. The shrine of the bell of St. Patrick’s Will, in the Museum of the ”

Royal Irish Academy, Dublin (A.D. 1091 to 1105)

XXX. Head of the Lismore crozier at Lismore Castle, Co. Waterford ”

(A.D. 1090 to 1113)

XXXI. Celtic quadrangular bell of bronze with zoömorphic handles from ”

Llangwynodl Church, Carnarvonshire, now in the possession

of Corbet Yale-Jones Parry, Esq., of Madryn Castle, Pwllheli.

Mr. Morgan Evans, of Pwllheli, photo.

Bronze reliquary from Lower Lough Erne, now in the possession

of T. Plunkett, Esq., of Enniskillen.

7 ins. long by 5⅞ ins. high by 3½ ins. wide.

R. Welch, of Belfast, photo.

XXXII. Bronze fibula with plaitwork and Late-Celtic ornament from the ”

Ardakillen Crannog, near Strokestown, Co. Roscommon,

now in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin

Detail of ornament on the underside of the foot of the Ardagh chalice,

in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin

XXXIII. Silver penannular brooch from Ireland, now in the British Museum. ”

Scale ¾ linear

XXXIV. Biskra woman wearing a pair of penannular brooches, ”

the ends of the pins pointing upwards

XXXV. Details of ornaments on the Tara brooch ”

XXXVI. Details of ornaments on the Tara brooch ”

XXXVII. Details of ornament on the Tara brooch, ”

in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin

XXXVIII. Circular knotwork on slab in church of Sta. Sabina, Rome ”

Doorway of the chapel of S. Zeno in the church of S. Prassede,

showing broken plaitwork on jambs (A.D. 772 to 795)

XXXIX. Key pattern, S. Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna Vine scrolls, ”

S. Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna

XL. Plaitwork of Romano-British pavement at Lydney Park, ”

Gloucestershire

Plaitwork in ciborium in the church of San Clemente,

Rome (fifth century)

XLI. Erect cross-slab from Collieburn, Sutherland, now in the ”

Dunrobin Museum

XLII. Detail of ornament on erect cross-slab at Nigg, Ross-shire ”

XLIII. Four men placed swastika fashion on recumbent pavement ”

at Meigle, Perthshire. Scale ⅛ linear

Spiral ornament on fragment of sculptured stone from Tarbet,

Ross-shire, now in the Edinburgh Museum

XLIV. Detail of ornament on erect cross-slab at Nigg, Ross-shire ”