KELLS-05 Ancient Kells Manuscript Double-sided Pendant

Taken from an ancient Celtic manuscript and captured under a glass cabochon, our double-sided pendant is finished on a sterling silver 18" chain. Boxed or carded with history of the Kells manuscript. Cabochon drop measures 22mm x 22mm or .875" x .875" and 12mm or .375" thick. 

About the Book of Kells Manuscript

Often referred to as the Book of Kells and sometimes known as the Book of Columba, this illuminated manuscript contains the Gospels according to the four apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It was created by Celtic monks around ca. 800, and is largely drawn from the Vulgate, a late fourth-century translation of the Bible.

The Kells manuscript takes its name from the Abbey of Kells in Ireland, which was its home for centuries. In 1654 Cromwell’s cavalry was quartered in the church at Kells, and the governor of the town sent the book to Dublin for safekeeping. Henry Jones, who later became bishop of Meath after the Restoration, presented the manuscript to Trinity College in Dublin in 1661 where it remains on permanent display today. The illustrations and ornamentation of this ancient manuscript surpass that of other Insular Gospel books in extravagance and complexity.

The decoration combines traditional Christian iconography with the ornate swirling motifs typical of Insular art. Figures of humans, animals and mythical beasts, together with Celtic knots and interlacing patterns in vibrant colours, enliven the manuscript’s pages.

Regarded as Ireland’s finest national art treasure, it is a masterwork of Western calligraphy and represents the pinnacle of Insular illumination.