This section is dedicated to Iconography and decorations study in Leabhar Chaenannais. As first I mean to introduce some decoration motifs of Kells and its artistic background to identify patterns, motifs, styles, influences and inspiration.
Ornaments repertoire employed in Leabhar Cheanannais had long been in development in manuscript art and applied crafts. Some letters are highlited by surrounding of red dots, as apeears first in the earliest surviving Irish book as the Gospel manuscript knows as “Usserianus Primus (trinity College Dublin, MS 55) which dates in the VI / VII century a. C.
By the device called “Diminuendo” some words letters introducing new section are wrote in deacreasing size, as first appears in the Cathach (Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, 12. R.33) a psalter traditionally attributed to St. Colum Cille.
This 2 devices are almost used in tandem in Leabhar Cheanannais to pick up the opening letters of verses, moreover interlace developed from the antiquity in Kells reach a high order of ingenuity: the first known insular manuscript to use interlace – in a static, ribbon patterns – is the late VII centurt gospel book known as the book of Durham (Dean and Chapter Library, MS A.II.10), thus in the later VII cetury Book of Durrow (Trinity College Dublin, MS. 57) interlace develops zoomorphic as well as abstract elements in designs which, combined with celtic spiral and trumpet devices, well figures the way towards the sophistication of Leabhar; in Durrow, parallels with motifs retrived from jewellery and metalworkcraft are particular striking.
Leabhar Cheanannais iconographic style, as stone carving arts one, probably both influenced and inspired by a common source of metalwork art, perhaps from the technique of cloisonné enamel, as borrowing, reusing and adapting patterns of common currency way of decoration. Parallel with metalwork as well as stonework are frequently to be observed: on folio 34 rectum -27- and 124 rectum -62- use of tight red dotting on a blanck ground appears to me as reminiscent of stippling on metalwork, such as the craftman made in the bowl of Ardagh Chalice. (figure)
Other palarells I noticed is in folio 130 rectum three figures grasping each other's arms as in the small circular bronze plate found in Togherstown, Country Westmeath (National Museum of Ireland 1929: 1400) here differenced by each otherps legs grasping of the three figures. Again in folio 33 rectum the bosses so similar to the two dismembered finials of the Shrine of the Musée des Antiquités Nationales of St. Germain/en/Late (in France: 52 748a and 748b); moreover I noticed snake ornament type as used extensively in whole Kells, or human head within snake's jaws and long curved neck resemble the initial on folio 58 verso. Other heads in Leabhar, as in folio 114 rectum the portrait of Jesus douring arrest, are prominent, with bulging eyes and precisely formed beard, comparable to some others irish metal works shrines.
Donore hoard, of late VII / early VIII century presents at my eyes others artistics paralels with Leabhar Chaenannais -21- as in the similar lion profile of the cast/bronze door handle and the biting lion of folio 124 rectum. The trumpet -17- and spiral motifs of one of the discs from the hoard is so close in style to -16- folio 33 rectum and 34 rectum discs, both constructed by compasses usage.
Iin a different medium again I noticed a small bone pin of a man squatting, his arms wrapped around his knees in naturalistic pose, was found last century in Newbridge, Country Kildare (NMI W 13), and this resemble folio 86 rectum figure of line 2 forming the T of “Tunc” word, and the tiny detail of a man, upside down, clasping his knees at the top -50- of the shaft of the first “I” letter of the “Initium” page in folio 130 rectum.-56-