Above: Example of Celtic craft

Symbolism is very crucial in understanding art and the most typical questions that is being asked is, “what does each art mean?” After years of studies, the designs are believed to be symbols of meanings waiting to be decoded.

Some of the things to take into consideration would be remembering that in these symbols are connected with changes time after time. The meaning in itself may be derived from the artist himself and may vary in which era it had been made. Celtic art can even be modern and may represent time in the present being.

Although Celtic art can be done in a modern sense, it always has to be linked in the past to make its design genuine. However if Celtic art would be limited tracing back to 1,200 years ago in the Book of Kells in search of perspective in Celtic design, then we’re losing the main essence of making Celtic design a living tradition.

It is said that once you make thorough studies in Celtic art one will lessen the urgency of finding symbolism in each. Historians had problems of finding symbols to connect in timeline, its origin and the evolving of styles.

The usual Celtic crafts that had been witnessed would be the cross, dove and heart.

The earliest Celtic Revival would be in the 1860’s in both Scotland and Ireland through monumental carvings. The most would be gravestones of priests as grave markers in high crosses.

Sometimes the revivals in Celtic design were right, based on rules in historic terms. Making clumsy imitations of a certain style is considered an emblem in the Celtic heritage.