These Celtic crosses are 14 inches tall including the base. The Celtic crosses are made of durable bonded marble and have a finish that gives them the look of weathered wrought iron. The Celtic crosses are formed by a simple Greek cross. There is a circle going around all four arms of the Celtic crosses. Each of the upper three arms of the Celtic crosses extends beyond the circle. There is a Fleur de lis design on the ends of each of the upper three arms of the Celtic crosses.
History of he Celtic Cross.
The Celtic cross is a traditional cross with a circle overlying the point where the lines meet. This symbol evolved in the British Isles. The earliest forms of the Celtic cross date from the 7th to the 9th centuries.
The oldest Celtic crosses were carved into large slabs of rock that lay flat on the ground. Later versions stand in an upright position with rock carved away from the cross. Tenth century Irish crosses were sometimes capped with a pitched roof. Celtic crosses were often decorated with interlaced knot work, spirals, key patterns, animal figures, foliage designs and Biblical stories. Some crosses were memorials, inscribed with names of individuals. Modern Celtic crosses are often used as tombstones in Irish churchyards.
Celtic Cross Meaning.
An Irish legend tells how St. Patrick created the first Celtic cross by drawing a circle over a Latin cross to incorporate a symbol of eternity and the endlessness of God’s love. It can even represent a halo emanating from Christ.
History of The Maltese Cross.
The Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection, a badge of honor, and its story is hundreds of years old. When a courageous band of crusaders, known as the Knights of St. John, fought the Saracens for possession of the Holy Land, they were faced with a new weapon not known to European fighters. It was a simple but horrible device of war. The Saracens weapon was fire.
As the crusaders advanced on the walls of the city, they were bombarded with glass bombs containing naphtha. When they were saturated with the liquid, the Saracens threw flaming torches into the crusaders. Hundreds of knights were burned alive while others risked their lives in an effort to save their kinsmen from painful fiery deaths. Thus these men became the first Firemen, and the first of a long line of Firefighters. Their heroic efforts were recognized by fellow crusaders who awarded each other with a badge of honor similar to the cross firefighters wear today.
Since the Knights of St. John lived for close to four centuries on the island of Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea, the cross came to be known as the Maltese Cross.
Definition of Art.
Art is the making of beautiful things. The word art brings to mind a variety of work designed to please the eye and excite the aesthetic emotions. To one person art may suggest beautiful paintings. To another it may mean a graceful statue. Beauty is almost always associated with art but not all beautiful things are works of art. Some things cannot help being beautiful, like twilight and dawn and a sunset over water but an artist means his work to be beautiful. He wants it to say something to people.
Science is different from art. It is commonly said that science know but art does. The scientist knows how to put certain pigments together to make a new shade of red paint. His work stops when the paint is made. The artist uses the paint to make a beautiful picture. The work of art is the product of man’s intellect and imagination. No matter in what material or medium an artist works, weather in wood, marble, clay or music, the principle remains the same.
The Kinds of Arts.
The arts are divided into many groupings. Critics often disagree over which arts should be in which group. Most agree that the fine arts include painting, drawing, architecture, sculpture, music, drama, poetry and dancing. Language arts is a tem often used to refer to language and literature. The decorative arts include ornamenting, house decoration, landscape gardening and costume design. The graphic arts are printing, engraving, photography and book making. The useful arts include ceramics, weaving, embroidery and china making.