From the recovery after the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s to the booming Celtic Tiger of the 1990s, a revival of the ancient traditions of Celtic jewelry have become a part of how the Irish, as well as the Scots, Welsh and other Celts have expressed their cultural identity. Usually the story of this tradition focuses on very old prototypes, the museum pieces turned up by archaeologists or the legend of the original Claddagh ring. In our imagination, we connect the popular Celtic jewelry of today with the distant past. But that link with the ancient style was very much influenced by what others had done in more recent history. The story of is told by four authors. Tara Kelly writes of the early Celtic Revival manufacture of facsimiles of medieval Irish metalwork in Victorian Dublin and how the success of that enterprise lead to historical Celtic jewellery to become iconic symbols of Irish identity. Mairi MacArthur tells the story of Alexander and Euphemia Ritchie who created the foundation for modern Scottish Celtic jewellery on the Isle of Iona in the early 20th century. Aidan Breen, himself a pioneer of the late 20th century Celtic Renaissance, recalls his career beginning with an apprenticeship with Dublin silversmiths which trained him in the traditions of the older Celtic Revival. Stephen Walker, craftsman and collector, brings the story together as it spans 150 years, from Scottish pebble jewellery to the innovative modern Celtic creations of the Arts and Crafts Movement. 69 color photographs and 29 black and white illustrations.

The Modern History of Celtic Jewellery: 1840-1980

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Walker, Stephen

MacArthur, E. Mairi

Kelly, Tara

Breen, Aidan

Antiques & Collectibles

Walker Metalsmiths

For the Gaels, it is I Chaluim Chille. From here, Colum Cille - or St Columba - and his successors spread their Christian mission throughout Scotland and beyond. An early king of Dal Riata was consecrated here, and later, the mighty Lords of the Isles brought their chieftains for burial in Iona's soil. In more recent times the island was the setting for the Iona Community, a radical experiment in church witness and worship.Living alongside these events, and often in their shadow, there has also been a local community. This is the first book about Iona to span the ages, tracing the population from prehistoric times to the present era. From the inhabitants of an iron-age fort to the medieval village clustered beside the Cathedral walls, and onwards right up to the men and women who worked the land and sea through two World Wars, it takes a fresh look at Columba's island. And it seeks to delve behind the layers of myth and mystery which have built up around this historic place and the lives of its people, great and small, throughout the centuries.

Columbia's Island: Iona from Past to Present

History

Europe

Edinburgh Univ Pr

This is a comprehensive look at this beautiful island steeped in religious history. This book explores the history, folklore, and landscape of this island.

Iona (Colin Baxter Island Guides)

Travel

Voyageur Pr

The Hebridean island of Iona has been the focus of intense outside interest for over fourteen hundred years, from the time of St Columba's monastery in the sixth century through to the transfer of its renowned monuments into the care of Historic Scotland in the year 2000.
Yet the people who lived and worked alongside its sacred sites have been largely overshadowed until now. This book is the first to redress the balance, taking an in-depth look at Iona's economic and social history during the 18th and 19th centuries, a period that saw profound change across the Highlands and Islands.
It charts the agricultural reorganisation that led to a crofting system, follows the islanders through the harsh decade of the potato famine and records their worship and education, their crafts and customs, and the ties of kinship that underpinned their community. A broad range of sources are woven together - documentary, material, topographical and photographic, along with oral testimony handed down the generations - to create a vivid picture of Iona's past.

Iona

MacArthur, Professor E. Mairi

Edinburgh University Press

The usual history of Iona tells of the monks and missionaries and ministers. This work, however, tells of the quieter, more personal tale of everyday life on a remarkable Hebridean island. Mairi MacArthur brings to the forefront of history the overlooked people and landscape of Iona. She describes how, through the dramas of history, from before the catalystic arrival of St Columba, to the even more dramatic arrival of hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, the crofters and fishermen of Iona have continued their working lives. This is a personal and affectionate account of the islanders which uncovers the continuity in their lives and work from pre-Columban times to the modern day. This is a book for the discerning Iona visitor who is curious to look beyond the myths surrounding St Columba at the reality of life on the island. It is also intended for students of Scottish history and Scottish studies.

Columbia's Island: Iona From Past to Present

Columbia University Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by MacArthur, E. Mairi. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by MacArthur, E. Mairi