George Bain: Father of the Celtic Renaissance

The Scottish art teacher George Bain (1881-1968) is often considered the father of the Celtic Renaissance. Several years after his retirement from teaching high school art in Kirkcaldy in 1946, he saw the publication of his book, Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction and the launch of the production of several rug designs by the Kidderminster carpet firm of Quayle & Tranter. His work continues to inspire Celtic artists around the world today.

Around twenty years ago I spotted our rug on an internet auction website. We displayed it on the wall in our Fairport, NY store for several years. When we opened our new showroom in Andover in 2018, the Hunting Carpet contributed to the vibe of the restored historical building.

Researching the George Bain Collection

Earlier in 2022 I was invited to join an advisory panel for the George Bain Collection that is under the stewardship of Groam House Museum in Rosemarkie, Easter Ross, Scotland. My relationship with Groam House goes back 25 years and I have visited several times. Since Sue and I were going to be in Scotland for part of our trip to participate in the Ninth International Insular Art Conference in Durham, England in April, I made arrangements to visit again and have a closer look at the collection.

The George Bain Collection archives at Groam House Museum, Scotland.

Dr. Jo Clements, the George Bain Curator and project manager, met with me and allowed me access to many of Bain's letters and original drawings. I made several very interesting discoveries. Regarding the Hunting Carpet, I found the original contract between Bain and the manufacturing firm stating that he would be paid £150 per year for his designs starting in 1951. Correcting for inflation that would be around £5,500 today, or over US $7,000.

The Authenticity Label

There was also correspondence about the authenticity label. On our carpet the label is missing, so this is very interesting as it tells what message George Bain intended the design to convey and his ideas about the general meanings he assumes for common motifs in Celtic art.

Two Eras of Celtic History

An interesting point about this very ambitious and complicated composition that I think is noteworthy: the human figures are dressed in the costume of two very different eras, both of which figure heavily into the idealized past.

The kilted figures appear to be from the 17th or 18th century Jacobite period. This period of history was greatly romanticized by the novels of Sir Walter Scott and more recently by the Outlander novels and video series. The older costume of the mounted figures is derivative of the carvings on the early medieval Pictish stones of the 7th to 10th centuries.

Although Bain frequently referenced such foundational masterpieces as the Irish Books of Kells, Durrow and the Northumbrian Lindisfarne Gospels, his observations were based on illustrations from books. It was the elaborately carved Pictish sculpture of his native Northeast Scotland that he had the most direct contact with the actual original artwork.

About the Author

Stephen Walker serves on the advisory panel for the George Bain Collection at Groam House Museum. He has been handcrafting Celtic jewelry inspired by the Celtic Renaissance tradition since 1984.

Learn more about Stephen & Susan Walker →

Many years ago my wife's relatives organized a family reunion. The invitations were festooned with green clip-art shamrocks. Even though the gathering was a picnic in the summer, the party decorations had a sort of Saint Patrick's Day theme. As a professional designer craftsman who specializes in Celtic art, I was disappointed with what I was perceiving as a kitschy portrayal of the American family's Irish roots.

Handcrafted Shamrock Jewelry

Authentic Irish symbols crafted with the same care as medieval masterpieces. Each piece honors both traditional heritage and artistic excellence.

Shamrock Pendants → Shamrock Crosses → Shamrock Earrings →

Celebrate Irish Heritage

From shamrocks to Claddagh rings and Celtic crosses, explore symbols that carry centuries of Irish history.

Browse Celtic Jewelry → Irish Pendants →

It has been nearly twenty years since I shed my aversion to shamrockery. I am convinced that the shamrockery of the American descendants of Irish immigrants preserves something from an earlier time. I no longer cringe when I see the over-the-top get-ups at festivals and parades. Some of the relatives at that family reunion now own, and hopefully treasure, shamrock jewelry that I designed and made. If any of you are reading this, please forgive my arrogance. You were right and I didn't get it. Embrace the shamrock!

Learn More About Irish Symbols

• What is a Shamrock? Irish Symbol History
• Claddagh Ring History & Meaning
• Celtic Cross Symbolism
• Celtic Knotwork Meanings
• Origins of Celtic Interlace Design

About the Author

Stephen Walker is the founder and Master Craftsman at Walker Metalsmiths. With over 40 years of experience in Celtic design, Stephen has traveled extensively throughout Ireland and Scotland, studying ancient Celtic art and building relationships with traditional craftsmen. His work is informed by rigorous historical research combined with masterful metalworking technique.

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 has 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.

Four Experts, 150 Years of History

The story is told by four authors, each bringing unique expertise to this comprehensive history:

Why History Matters to Our Craft

Understanding the history of Celtic jewelry isn't just academic interest—it directly informs the work we do at Walker Metalsmiths. When Stephen designs a new Celtic cross or trinity knot piece, he draws on decades of research into how these traditions evolved. This scholarly foundation is what separates authentic Celtic jewelry from mass-produced imitations.

The Celtic Revival masters like George Bain and the Ritchies of Iona established the visual language that contemporary Celtic artists like John Urban and Stephen Walker continue today. This unbroken lineage of craft knowledge is what we mean by "Celtic Renaissance."

About Stephen Walker

Stephen Walker is co-author of The Modern History of Celtic Jewellery: 1840-1980, serves on the advisory panel for the George Bain Collection at Groam House Museum in Scotland, and has been handcrafting Celtic jewelry in Andover, NY since 1984. His scholarly research directly informs every piece created at Walker Metalsmiths.

Learn more about Stephen & Susan Walker →

The Problem of Interpreting Ancient Symbols

When talking about things Celtic we have to remember that things change through time and place. What meaning may or may not have been for the monks that illuminated masterpieces such as the 9th century Book of Kells is not necessarily the same meaning expressed by users of Celtic design in more recent years, but there is a popularly held notion that it is or ought to be.

While it may be reckless speculation to claim a certain symbolic meaning as the original intent of an artist working in the Dark Ages, we should not dismiss that an artist working in our own times intends a symbolic message in the same type of design and that that meaning is valid in context. The problems that occur are a result of there being very little consensus among artists about Celtic symbolism and the perception that the symbolism suggested has been gleaned from an ancient source. The naive believer hopes that the symbolism offered by a modern artist or craftsman is an authentic legacy from the past. The skeptic thinks this is very unlikely and considers it fanciful fakery.

Trinity Knot Jewelry Collection →

What Art Historians Say About Symbolism

The more you study Celtic Art, the less urgent the issue of symbolism becomes. Art historians are consumed with problems of timeline, place of origin and migration of styles and ideas. Artists and designers who work with Celtic themes today are more interested in creative applications and technique. Work with a message is likely to be spelled out in words or conveyed with figurative images or more universally recognized symbols such as crosses, doves or hearts. Yet the most common question from the public about knotwork is, "What does it mean?"

For the contemporary Celtic artist or craftsman, explanation of symbolism can be more of an answer to what may be an awkward question. "Can you show me the knots that means 'love, health or strength'?" What an opportunity for creative marketing! We have absolutely no hard evidence that any such meaning were ever intended by the ancients, but this has not stopped modern designers from attributing such meanings. Art historians have been very shy about even speculating about the possible symbolism of Celtic Interlace. To look for a pat explanation from the scholars is a disappointment. Many go as far as stating that interlace was historically used purely for decoration and that suggestions of any symbolic intent are not supported by credible research.

The Triquetra: A Case Study in Interpretation

The case of the triquetra or three-fold knot is a good example of the difficulty that one faces when trying to assign specific meaning to Celtic designs. Sacred numbers and the symbolism of numerology offer a promising basis for the interpretation of Early Christian Celtic ornament. The triquetra is an obvious sign of the Holy Trinity. Other knots could represent the four directions, the twelve Apostles and so on. But as important as numbers are in Scripture, legends and poetry, the connection remains elusive and evidence circumstantial.

Triquetra Earrings

The Triquetra in Modern Times

When the triquetra stands alone it certainly looks like a symbol, but in early Christian Celtic venues it rarely does. If the triquetra had formerly been used as it is now, we would have no reason to doubt its function as a symbol. In modern times it has been customary to display designs alone that would have been details in older work. These stand-alone details are frequently seen in books about Celtic Art or on modern day Celtic craft objects.

When a single knot appears alone, as say a pendant that is a single triquetra, it seems as if it must be a symbol. Given the Celt's penchant for blessings and invoking the Holy Trinity, the meaning of the triquetra seems more obvious than any other knotwork. The triquetra is quite commonly called the "Trinity knot" and has been consciously used as a Christian symbol during the 150 years of the Celtic Revival. In recent decades it has also been appropriated as an emblem of the "Triple Goddess" by Pagan revivalists. When someone plucked the triquetra out of antiquity and it stood alone in modern times, this was a creative act and the triquetra was no longer just a pretty space filler.

Celtic Cross Jewelry Collection →

From International Style to Symbol of Identity

Celtic interlace, or attempts at something that looked like it have been made in every century since the Insular style first emerged in the 7th century. At first interlace was being used to decorate Gospels and symbols of Christian faith such as crosses. Religious and secular use of Celtic Art cannot be seen as expressing any national identity prior to the Norman invasion, especially when it is recognized that at this time several peoples—the Irish, the Picts, the Scots of Dal Riada and the Northumbrians—all had artists that excelled in the style.

The nearest neighbors, the southern Anglo-Saxons, the Welsh and many continental religious communities also produced manuscript decorations in the Celtic or "Hiberno-Saxon" tradition. During the "Golden Age" of Celtic art, 7th to 10th centuries, the style and vocabulary of ornament was an international style throughout the region.

The Celtic Revival: 19th Century Renaissance

Weapons and jewellery associated with the Jacobite movement continued to be decorated with knotwork until 1745. At this point the longest gap appears in the continuity of use. Little, if any knotwork was produced from then until the dawn of the Celtic Revival in the mid-1800's.

The earliest Celtic Revival monuments are from the 1860's. In both Scotland and Ireland monumental carving was and remains the most conspicuous uses of Celtic design. Many of the most elaborate earlier monuments of the Celtic Revival are the gravestones of priests. Recognition of the legacy of the Celtic Church was being expressed with the creation of new "High Crosses" both as public monuments and as grave markers.

Common Modern Interpretations

Why would it be that continuum would be such an important concept that an elaborate symbology as knotwork would be contrived? In modern times those who maintain an interest in Celtic things, be it Celtic music, dance, religion, folklore or history, may relate to the idea of continuum in their desire to affirm and preserve a culture they value, nobly surviving despite centuries on the margins of European mainstream.

Among Celtic Diaspora, those emigrants and their descendants whose interest in their roots have become a passion are especially likely to relate to a message of continuum as they strive to maintain an identity with their heritage in the multi-cultural melting pot of the New World. If the modern motive for creating or viewing Celtic knotwork involves a sense of heritage, the message of continuum seems to work.

About the Author

Stephen Walker

Stephen Walker is the founder and Master Craftsman at Walker Metalsmiths. With decades of study in Celtic art history and hands-on experience creating traditional designs, Stephen brings both scholarly knowledge and artistic practice to understanding Celtic symbolism.

Note from the author: My thanks to members of Celtic_Art @ eGroups for their discussion and debate of the issues of meaning and symbolism during January 2001. The chance to kick around these ideas with a cross-section of imaginative, passionate and knowledgeable contemporary Celtic artists and designers was of immense value.

Learn more about Stephen & Susan Walker →
Read Stephen's book: "The Modern History of Celtic Jewelry" →