The English and the Celts—whether they come from Ireland, Scotland, Wales or Brittany—have suffered a long and complicated (love/hate) relationship with each other. Each Celtic region harbors a specific grudge: the Irish chafing under colonization, the Scots wanting independence, the Welsh desiring cultural autonomy and the Bretons—well, they joined the Normans in The Battle of Hastings, way back in 1066. Erupting conflicts come and go with the eras, yet, the rub of friction never goes away completely.
What is undisputed is the British appreciation of beautiful Ancient Celtic design (the seeds of which probably arrived with Norse invaders about three centuries before the Norman Invasion). In fact, the Celtic aesthetic has been universally popular wherever Celtic people have made their homes.
The Victorian silver brooch, shown above, was made in the 1880's. A Celtic-inspired graphic—perhaps a stylized botanical?—sits at the center. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome pin.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.