medieval manuscript illumination

Celtic Knotwork: History, Meaning, and Designs

Celtic knotwork is the intricate interlaced ornament that became a hallmark of Insular art, appearing in illuminated manuscripts, stone carvings, and metalwork across medieval Ireland and Britain. Though the term is modern, its looping forms reveal a complex history of artistic borrowing, Christian symbolism, and later revival, inviting closer study of how this design became so enduring.