celtic gifts

Celtic Gifts

Each individual piece of St Justin celtic jewelry and each celtic gift from The Curio Shop is crafted by hand and eye here in Cornwall, the South Western extremity of Britain. Here are celtic jewelry and celtic gifts from this wild and beautiful land which was home to the many native Celts who were driven away from the temperate midlands of Britain by invading European warriors, such as the Angles of Northern Germany.

Celtic Gifts - Paperknives

It is in places such as Cornwall, Ireland, Wales and Scotland that the art of the Celts and ancient Britons has survived, carved into stone tombs and discovered on pottery-fragments and ornaments, and continues in the crafting of celtic gifts and celtic jewelry.

The Celtic deities were bold, noble, beautiful and daring, representing mythic archetypes clear to us from modern day psychology. It is thought that the legends and stories of the Celtic Gods were used to teach and inspire, much as the Bible is used today. The Celts thought themselves to be potentially existent in all worlds, in the sense that they related to each part of their cosmology. It was considered easy to pass between the worlds of the created realms and the Otherworld. The Otherworld in Celtic myth exists alongside and entwined with the real world. This is clearly represented in the continuous spirals and lines of Celtic Art, which also represent the continuity of life, all reflected in this unique range of celtic jewelry and celtic gifts we have collected here.

Celtic Gifts Flasks

Sacred to Celtic religion was the number three and its compound number, nine. Great importance was given to these triplicates, and this is seen particularly in the Celtic triscele designs.

As the years went by, religious scholars and monks adopted the traditions of Celtic art, creating illuminated texts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels. Their work exemplifies the simple sophistication of form and from their creations are drawn many of St. Justin's favourite celtic jewelry and celtic gift designs. As Christian beliefs spread across the world, the Celtic cross evolved, with the circle that surrounds the cross symbolising the "great wheel of life" - a belief that pre-dates Christianity. These carved stone crosses are scattered throughout the country and are a common site in our Churchyards today.

Celtic Gifts Goblets

Celtic art reverberates through the centuries, identified by the simple sophistication of form and an indefinable feeling for the rightness of things. Modern interpretations of Celtic tradition have given us the Arts and Crafts movement and the era of Art Nouveau, where the ancient Celtic belief in elegance of form and a reverence for the Earth and its creatures is apparent in the work of artists from many nations. Our range of celtic gifts includes products inspired by the work of Scottish designer, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Isle of Man designer Archibald Knox, and Czech designer Alphonse Mucha.

Celtic Gifts Tableware

The result, celtic jewelry as given form by St.Justin in the enduring alloy of pewter, is not only a recreation of the past, but a continual envolving of living art, created by modern craftsmen for the people of today.

Celtic Gifts from Pewter

The venerable alloy of pewter is made of 92% tin, with copper and antimony to harden it and enhance casting. For many generations, English pewter's tin content was Cornish in origin and the majestic granite steam engine houses dominated the landscape. Today, sadly, Cornish tin mining is no more and the picturesque ruins of our industrial past just add to the romance and mystery of Kernow.

Pewter rose in popularity during the Middle Ages, replacing wooden tableware in well-to-do households. Enduring and malleable, it acquires an attractive patina with age, and can be fashioned into almost any desired form. Unrivalled until the 19th Century, pewterware was exported to all the corners of the world during the grand days of the British Empire. It's quiet dignity and venerable history makes it the material of choice for St. Justin's noble range of celtic gifts and celtic jewelry.

Celtic Gifts for Men

At St Justin the distinguished tradition lives on. High-quality pewtor ignots are fused in a crucible and the molten metal is ladled into the rubber moulds created from the artist's original sculpture. After cooling and finishing, the items are hand - polished and painted by skilled craftspeople, before clips and other findings are spot-welded into position.

Celtic Gifts from The Curio Shop

The result is a gift of great beauty and craftsmanship - an object of art to treasure forever. See the range on-line at
www.curioshop.co.uk
The Curio Shop, Sennen Cove, Penzance, Cornwall. TR19 7DF
Tel: UK 0870 901 1610 Fax: 0870 901 1067
e-mail info@curioshop.co.uk

Care of your pewter celtic gift and celtic jewelry.
Cleaning the item is best done by washing it in warm soapy water, followed by thorough drying. A silver polishing cloth is all that is needed to maintain a high polish.

(Please note: Never place pewter celtic gifts or celtic jewellery in a dishwasher, as the high temperatures and the chemicals in the cleaning agent will react adversely with the metal.)

This page is published by The Curio Shop
Last up-dated November 2002