Celtic art is famed for its geometric patterns and stylised view of nature. Influenced by the art of other cultures, it evolved into a separate distinctive art form. It survives best in pre-Roman archaeology as weapons and jewellery.

The Origins of Celtic Art

Celtic art’s development began with the central European Celtic tribes. Along with other aspects of Celtic culture, it spread to other areas of Europe, such as Britain and Ireland.

Celtic art was originally inspired by the Mediterranean nations the Celts traded with. The Greeks and Etruscans seem to have influenced the Celts with their styles of drinking vessels. Scythian and other oriental influences led to the use of animals in decoration.

The Celts interpreted these influences their way. Human figures, stylised and formulistic in Greek art, became more individual. The Celts portrayed individual figures as having unique facial expressions and wearing different types of Celtic hairstyles and dress. Unlike the Greeks, they also employed humour, making many of their portrayals comical.

Celtic Art in the Archaeological Record

Although Celtic art would have found expression in fabrics and leatherwork, such materials have a poor survival rate in the archaeological record. Most of what remains to us from the pre-Roman period is metalwork. Common metals include gold, silver and bronze and cover objects such as jewellery, weapons and high-status goods such as drinking vessels.

Common Features of Celtic Art

Several common motifs define Celtic art:

• Nature. Human figures, animals and plants were commonly used in Celtic art. Birds, horses and deers were among the popular creatures displayed.

• Geometric shapes. Crosshatched patterns, spirals, lozenges and knots are common features. Woven together, they often filled in large spaces of the item they decorated.

• Abstract patterns and fantastical beasts. Much of Celtic artwork marries all of the above with graceful tendrils of plants and the necks of birds appearing out of the complex patterns of its geometry. Basic animal forms gradually developed into unique stylised, fantastical animals.

Different Styles of Celtic Art

Celtic art began to emerge as a distinct form during the Halstatt period. Greek and eastern influences were still apparent in many designs, such as the Basse Yutz vessels, but they were adapted to include animals and plants that emerged naturally out of the main body of the item in question. This period also sees the beginnings of the abstract geometric patterns and enamelling that became so typical of Celtic art. Greek art usually told a story, but Celtic art concentrated more on the attention to detail in the patterns and figures it employed.

Celtic art was refined during the La Tene period and achieved a unique expression. It can be separated into several distinct styles. These include:

• Waldagesheim style. Dating to the fourth century BC, this style was named after the design of the torcs and bracelets found in a series of graves in Waldagesheim in Germany. The style is typified by the curved abstract patterns in the metalwork, accompanied by human heads as decorative motifs.

• Plastic style. Dating to the third century BC, this La Tene style of metalwork employed moulding blending natural and abstract forms to form often grotesque three-dimensional images.

• Sword Style. Belonging to the same time frame as plastic style, this employed two-dimensional engraved, asymmetrical patterns.

Celtic styles also developed uniquely according to the particular Celtic region, with the art of Britain and Ireland showing subtle differences to that from the continent.

Resources

Lloyd Laing (1984) Celtic Britain Paladin: Granada publishing

Frank Delaney (1993) The Celts Harper Collins Publishers

Illustrated Dictionary of Archaeology