(mahogany and cherry)

The designs in this piece are from the Book of Kells.  The esoteric meanings in most Celtic designs can only be surmised; but, when compared with the whole body of Celtic artwork, some conclusions about the meaning of a particular design can be arrived at with some certainty.

Remember that the Celts lived in dense forests.  The unorderly chaos in the center design suggests that density.  And in this forest one can see eyes peering out--eyes of animals and/or spirits.  Through the forest are paths that meander, but which would be used for travel.  The design is circular, suggesting that though the forest they lived in might be a jumble, the universe they lived in was orderly and operated  with regularities and inevitabilities.

The design on either side of the center contains stylized birds.  The design itself suggests order and unity--a contrary of the center design.  Birds were sacred and thought to carry prophetic knowledge.  The pairs represent the unity and equality of the male and female--an important concept in the Celtic world.