The Irish standard., 1912-09-07
responsible for the trimming of
Soc. edges.
-an,.cf,. ~ great antiquarian of

eI as paid homage to the
bea. the Book of Kells, being
unanin.,, in asserting that the fer
tility of invention, the profound
knowledge of art principles. the prac-
tical taste and the wonderful dexterity
or execution Of the Irish artists re-
suited, not from the genius of any sim
gle individual, but from the emulation
of various schools of writing and the
improvements of several generations.
The suggestion that the Irish artists,
those who produced the Book Of Kells.
the Book of Armagh the Book of Dur.
row. also claimed to be a fragment of
st. Columba's work, and the other
scores of most gorgeous illuminations
took their art from any foreign source
Is disproved by the internal evidence
Of the work which could not have heen
brought to such a high stage of per-
fection. especially as it did not exist
elsewhere, except through centuries Of
its own development. Art in Ireland
had clearly grown during a long period
before the time of st. Patrick; and the
early Christian artists, finding the
Irish attached to, and influenced by
this art, adopted and developed 1T,
gave it a Christian character and
utilized it in the service Of religion.
Tyic ic1,
mated manuscripts in the Dublin mu-
seums and libraries, which contain a.
larger collection of them than any
other institutions in the world, is SYM
bolic. The interlacings, the n,ono-
grams, the circles. tell stories of be-
lief and of imagination to the student.
AS we'll as the manuscripts the
Dublin museum holds rare specimens
of priceless value, notably the chalice
of Ardagh, whose beauty cannot be
described, so dependent is it upon the
softness of metal work and enanels
with jewels insets and the Cross OF
Cong. The Tara brooch, composed Of
a metal harder than silver, formed by
a combination of copper and tin, and
containing insets of gold work and
enamel. and the Rcserea brooch OF the
Petrie collection are examples 1T the
sort of. work done by Irish jewelers. at
a time when in other parts of Europe
gold. silver and other precious metals
were being used in only the crudest
fashion. For the Tara brooch, con-
temporaneous with the Argah chalice,
and certainly executed before the
tenth century, is the finest example
OF fine metal work ever discovered.
The number and variety of the
brooches, chalices, book -shrines, bell
shrines. crosiers, crosses, gospel-cases.
pins and necklets assert the wide
spread culture of the Irish people long
previous to the civilization of any part
of western and northern Europe.
Where did the gold come FROM" is
the familiar query of visitors to the
guards in the Dublin museum. From
the mines of Ireland" is the answer
of the we'll informed For not only the
quantity of gold, but researches of
biologists and acheologists have
proven the existence of gold in the
Irish mountains. A 22-ounce gold mug
get found in Donegal has a real K!on-
dixie look. The existence of the great
mineral wealth in the Irish mountains
has long been more than a. conjecture
and it is the hope in Ireland that the
Industrial revival will in time extend
its operations to the opening of the
natural resources of the country.
The league, by consistent effort, has
not only made the revival of Irish art
a national issue, but has proved to the
people of ireland that Irish art, mod
eled on the ancient forms, is more
beautiful than any importation has
ever been.