Treasures of early Irish art, 1500 B.C. to 1500 A.D.

Year: 1977
Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Edition: 1st
Language: EN
Pages: 224
Condition: VG
Binding: SC

- "Treasures of Early Irish Art, 1500 B.C. to 1500 A.D." is a seminal exhibition catalogue published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1977 to document a landmark traveling exhibition. Authored by leading scholars G. Frank Mitchell, Peter Harbison, Liam de Paor, and Máire de Paor, this 224-page volume presents a comprehensive survey of surviving Irish antiquities spanning three millennia. Because organic materials rarely survived the damp Irish climate, the exhibition focuses heavily on enduring masterpieces of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and vellum. The objects featured were drawn from the prestigious collections of the National Museum of Ireland, the Royal Irish Academy, and Trinity College, Dublin.
The catalogue is chronologically structured to guide readers through the major epochs of early Irish civilization, beginning with the spectacular gold work of the Bronze Age and the intricate metalwork of the pagan Celtic Iron Age. It then moves into the Golden Age of Irish Christianity, a period renowned for its exceptional monastic art. Readers can explore detailed historical contexts, stylistic analyses, and close-up photography of world-famous masterpieces, including the Ardagh Chalice, the Tara Brooch, and the Cross of Cong. Additionally, the publication highlights the profound artistic achievements of early medieval manuscript illumination, showcasing pages from legendary codices such as the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow. Later chapters explore the resilience and evolution of Irish design through the disruptive Viking invasions and the subsequent transition into the Romanesque and Gothic periods.