EARLY CHRISTIAN ART ARE EXAMPLES OF TACTILE SOURCES
High crosses
The monks also carved high stone crosses. The first stone crosses were simple in design, but later crosses had details of scenes from the Bible, as well as figures of saints. These carvings were used to teach people about Christianity.
The Cross of the Scriptures, Clonmacnoise Metalworking The Ardagh Chalice
Go onto YouTube and look up ‘Deirdre Morgan Ardagh Chalice’. Tara Brooch
Next look up ‘Deirdre Morgan Tara Brooch’.
Monks also produced fine silver chalices, croziers and brooches decorated with gold, amber and enamel. The intricate gold wiring was called filigree. The influence of Celtic designs – the La Tène style – can be seen clearly in their work.
A crozier
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To Europe
The Ardagh Chalice
Derrynaflan Hoard
Some Irish monks went abroad to found monasteries. St Colmcille went to Scotland to found the monastery of Iona. St Columbanus and his followers travelled to the Continent and founded many monasteries in France, Switzerland and Italy. The Irish monks produced manuscripts in the Irish style and converted non-Christian tribes to Christianity. Historians look on this time as a ‘Golden Age’ in Irish learning.
