Celtic Art Research Paper

Celtic Art first appeared in Europe by the first migrations of the Celts coming from the grasslands in Southern Russia in about 1000 BCE. Not only they migrated to Europe, they brought their own cultural styles such as iron-making, metalwork, artifacts, pottery, jewelry art, and tools. The culture flowered in Europe even before the Romans built their empire. As the Celtic art was expanding, new materials, symbols, patterns, and themes were developed throughout its existence.

The first style of Celtic art, Hallstatt culture, was influenced by Mycenaean art in Austria, and lasted from 800 to 475 BCE. Hallstatt art was famous for the iron weapons, tools, and bronze-based production of decorative items. Even though there were iron and bronze objects,

This style of art got its name when archeologists found a site in Switzerland with over 2500 objects in 1857. There were four stages during the La Tene that lasted between 500 and 100 BCE: The Early Style (480-350 BCE), The Waldalgesheim Style (350-290 BCE), The Plastic Style (290-190 BCE) and The Sword Style (190 BCE-100 BCE). During the Early Stage, the patterns consisted of mostly tendrils, lyres, and lotus buds in a flowing manner. Later, Celtic art expanded much more during the Waldalgesheim Style, where plant imagery, in the forms of winding tendrils and wreaths, played a big role in the designs. Human faces started to appear in the decorations during this phase as well, in two-dimensional forms that were the most popular. After this, was the Plastic Style that consisted of asymmetrical artworks, in three-dimensional forms. Often, animal and human shapes that were on the objects had the form of fierce, unusual eyes. The last phase, the Sword Style, used a flat, linear style, which were in a similar style of Waldalgesheim, in objects such as iron swords and scabbards. Themes, such as the Tree of Life with monsters and birds or the Lord of the Beasts, and etc., were primarily used throughout the history of Celtic

The most common symbols were the Triquetra, the Cross, and the Celtic Knots. Since the Triquetra knot has one continuous line weaving around itself with three sides, the knot represents the domains of the world: earth, sea, and sky. In addition, it can also mean the past, present, and future. However, when the triquetra has a circle weaving around it, the triquetra symbolizes eternity. Nowadays, the Christians believe that the Triquetra as a symbol of the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit. Another one of the most familiar kind of Celtic symbols is the Celtic Cross. The Cross was known as a symbol of life and sun back then, despite the fact that it is a major symbol of Christianity these days. Moreover, Dara Celtic Knot and Quaternary Celtic Knot are the most well-known knots among the knots of the Celts, for example. Dara means oak tree, which is a symbol of destiny, strength, and wisdom, so that makes the Dara Celtic Knot as a symbol of inner strength, and the Quaternary Celtic Knot means four directions that refer to north, south, east, and west, or it can mean four elements of nature: earth, fire, water, and air. Notwithstanding the success of the art during the time, the La Tene period gradually declined when Rome rose in power as time moved on between 200 BCE and 100