Cross and Crown

On the trip to Ireland several years ago, my friends and I visited the Rock of Cashel. There's an ancient celtic style cross there, with the characteristic circular pattern around the arms of the cross.

It's a high cross, a traditional latin cross with a circle enclosing the arms and uprights of the cross.

For more history about the origin and meaning of the celtic cross images check out the exhibit
with many examples.

When I travel, I take photographs but I also do quick sketches and watercolor washed pages in a small drawing book. A page from my sketchbook has this simple line drawing of another ornate celtic cross.

Many crosses of this type are markers, historical monuments. Others I've seen in cemetaries are markers and memorials of people and families.

In 2005, a celtic cross monument was erected in honor of the irish immigrants to Saint Louis, Missouri, where I currently live. Saint Louis is a very old town, with many historical areas and stories from the original settling of the western part of this country.

Another benefit of the large Irish population in Saint Louis is the many excellent Irish pubs in the area!

I recently made three little pendants in the spirit of the ancient crosses. There are several styles, this one is the celtic cross with four circles, one surrounding each of the upright and cross arms. I'm doing some research on this configuration, to see if it has a special meaning or interpretation. Later I'll show the crown and some of the other crosses I created as replicas of artifacts.

It looks very timeworn and ancient, with great details. It has an opening from top to bottom, for wire or cord to pass through.

It would be great worn as jewelry, or used as a decoration. It reminds me of the worn and ancient celtic crosses standing out in the open on the hills in Ireland.

Or on the open prairie in the midwest, in downtown Saint Louis, Missouri.