ear drawing” (9). Nordenfalk points out that the basic style of Hiberno-Saxon decoration is linear in nature (113). This means that there is a great deal of movement of line to be found in the illustrations. This linear quality is seen, for example, in the decorative borders surrounding many of the pictures, and also in the geometric shapes and patterns that are featured throughout. The most frequently used geometric shape seems to be the spiral.Another patterning produced is created by the technique of interlace. This refers to the ribbon-like, weaving patterns that surround key words and phrases. The use of interlace is highly superior in the Book of Kells. As noted by Meehan, with the Book of Kells the ancient art of interlace “reached a high order of ingenuity” (17). Time and again, tiny human or animal figures are incorporated into the interlace patterns. There is a wide range of animal shapes used in the manuscript, including; cats, dogs, mice, lions, calves, eagles, snakes, moths, and otters. Some of the animal figures are symbolic of Christ, such as the fish and the lion. (MacCorkill 1997). There are also angels and other religious figures and symbols. As a general rule, the human and animal figures are depicted in a stylized way. This results in them having a distorted, or “grotesque” appearance, which is similar to the style found in later Gothic period art (Nordenfalk 114). Overall, the decorative patterns in the Book of Kells were highlighted by an efficient use of color, which further helps to bring the illustrative features to life.A focus for much of the decoration in the Book of Kells is the large initial letters that precede important passages of the text. In addition to serving a decorative purpose, these initial letters help draw the reader’s eye into the wording of the text (Nordenfalk 118). This treatment of initial letters shows two elements, which were unique to ...
