Pictish Art

  

The Picts were a group of people living in the ancient eastern and northern

area of Scotland in the fourth century.

It is generally accepted that the Picts were not, as once believed a new race,

but were simply the decedents of the already established Iron Age people of 

northern Scotland.

The uncertainty that surrounds the Picts is simply because they left no written

records as seems to be the case for ancient civilizations in the area.

We have no clear vision of how they lived and what there religion consisted of

and general information about there society. All we know of them is from

second hand evidence that has been written from others and their impressions

of the wild Pictish people.

My intent here is not to go into their history but to celebrate their incredible

pieces of art that they left behind in the form of stone, metal, jewelry and small 

objects of rock and bone. As a artist I often imagine that in each tribe there must 

have been a few who were the artisans, who recorded their inspirations and things 

of beauty for their king and members of his group and also to please their creative 

instincts for themselves. What we have of their work stands today. I can imagine the

hundreds of objects and monoliths which did not make thorough the centuries of

time. The large stones which crumbled from wear and tear would vanish away

but perhaps other objects lay waiting to be found in the earth, perhaps in the future.

Like all civilizations they came and went. Lets enjoy what they have left us.

The following are published books on

the Picts and their art.