Zoomorphic Forms in Celtic Art

Today deserves a closer look at the Book of Kells, and more generally, Celtic art. It is still March, and although St. Patrick's Day is over, we can still learn from the Irish and their predecessors.

A few fun tidbits:

The Book of Kells now resides at Trinity College in Dublin.

Zoomorphic forms blend animal parts and abstract or decorative designwork. Often these forms would decorate or become part of the text in manuscripts such as the Book of Kells. This image shows a zoomorphic form as part of the illuminated initial.

Ravenna

If you've never heard of Ravenna, it's worth looking into. It is a city on the east coast of Italy. Among other treasures, this city is home to beautiful mosaics, heavily influenced by the Byzantine Empire, in churches such as San Vitale and San Apollonare Nuovo, and the Mausoleum of Galla Placida.

San Vitale holds the famous Justinian and Theodora mosaics. Justinian was the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, and Theodora was his wife.

Mosaic basics: Mosaics are made up of tiny glass tiles called tesserae.