Celtic knot
Celtic knots (
History
The use of
Spirals, step patterns, and key patterns are dominant motifs in Celtic art before the Christian influence on the Celts, which began around 450. These designs found their way into early Christian manuscripts and artwork with the addition of depictions from life, such as animals, plants and even humans. In the beginning, the patterns were intricate interwoven cords, called plaits, which can also be found in other areas of Europe, such as Italy, in the 6th century. A fragment of a Gospel Book, now in the Durham Cathedral library and created in northern Britain in the 7th century, contains the earliest example of true knotted designs in the Celtic manner.
Examples of plait work (a woven, unbroken[
The Celtic knot as a tattoo design became popular in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s.[6]
Examples
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A small part of The Great Pavement, a Roman mosaic laid in AD 325 at Woodchester, Gloucestershire, England
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Cahir Abbey, c. 15th century
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Design influenced by illustration in the Lindisfarne Gospels
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A basic form of a Celtic knotwork cross
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Ornamental version of Celtic "high cross" with decorative knotwork
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A quasi-Celtic cross made of a large symmetrical knot with a circle interlaced through its center
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This knotwork by Steve Ball illustrates King Crimson's Discipline and is the logo of Discipline Global Mobile
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Slightly modified version of quasi-Celtic knot
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Triquetra knot
See also
- Celtic art
- Celtic button knot
- Celtic cross
- Croatian interlace
- Endless knot
- George Bain (artist)
- Islamic interlace patterns
- Khachkars
- Knot garden
- Knot (mathematics)
- Oseberg style
- Triquetra
- Turk's head knot
References
- ISBN 978-0500203439.
- ISBN 0-486-22923-8.
- ISBN 1-85170-035-8.
- ISBN 1-85891-075-7.
- ^ Ivan, Drew (10 August 2005). "Eight Basic Knotwork Patterns". Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
- ^ Shapiro, Ari (25 November 2014). "The American Origins Of The Not-So-Traditional Celtic Knot Tattoo". NPR. Archived from the original on 23 January 2019.
External links
- Draw Your Own Celtic Knotwork Comprehensive list of links to both knotwork tutorials and a knotwork bibliography
- Celtic Interlace - An Overview by Stephen Walker, reproduced with permission from Dalriada Magazine, 2000
- Font with Zoomorphic (animal) ornaments GPL Font and generator project
- Celtic Knot Generator Online Celtic knot designer that uses the Knots typeface.