Celtic Claddagh, decorative ceramic tile

8 x 8 relief carved ceramic Claddagh tile, a symbol of love, friendship & loyalty.

The Claddagh ring was designed around 400 years ago by Richard Joyce in a fishing village called Claddagh overlooking Galway Bay. It belongs to a group of finger rings which date from Roman times called Fede or Faith rings. The Claddagh is a very distinctive design amongst Fede rings and there are several stories as to it's origins. One of the more popular tales is that a Richard Joyce of Galway was captured by Algerian corsairs and sold to a Moorish goldsmith,  from whom he learned the craft. In 1689, as the result of a demand from King William III, he was released from slavery. The Moor offered him his only daughter in marriage along with half his wealth if he would remain in Algiers. Richard declined and returned home with the idea and skills to craft the Claddagh ring. The earliest rings to be traced bear his mark & initials.

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Decorative relief carved hummingbird ceramic tile

Flight has always represented freedom and the ascent of the soul to the gods. Birds share something of the same symbolic meaning. Coming from the skies they are messengers from higher powers, for good or ill.

Here's a relief carved & hand painted pair of 6x6 Humming bird tiles with iridecent mother of pearl luster on the feathers. The flowers can be custom painted in any color.
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New Celtic mermaid & seal tile carving

I have now finished carving the 8x8 Celtic mermaid & seal tile designed by our daughter Sara.
Here's the original carving in progress.

Here's John preparing the frame for the plaster mold.

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Decorative ceramic raven tile

Ravens, well known for thier intelligence, have been distinguished in numerous cultures as a harbinger of powerful secrets. To the Celts Bran, the Welsh word for Raven, is associated with healing, initiation, protection and the gift of prophecy. For the Norse they are symbolic of mind, thought & wisdom. In Native North American tradition the raven is a venerated bird of creation, known as the bringer of light as well as being wise & sly.

This is our 14 x 7 demi lune raven tile. I thought I'd feature this tile today after a friend of mine that was visiting for a couple of days had an interesting raven encounter on a trail by the beach.

This tile is one of my personal favorites and holds a feature spot in my kitchen. As with all our demi lune tiles it looks great over a doorway, especially if your an Edgar Allen Poe fan.

 

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Green man ceramic tile

Here is our new 6 x 6 green man tile. The green man has been a powerful symbol throughout western culture, representing male energy and the eternal cycle of decay and renewal.

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Decorative ceramic dragon tiles

Dragons, symbols of the primal energy upholding the material world, in themselves neither good nor bad. Representing the mutual dependence of light & dark, creation & destruction, male & female. The dragon embodies the unifying force underlying these opposites.

These 14 x 7 half round dragon tiles of ours look great hung on thier own above a doorway.

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Celtic Knotwork

Decorative knotwork, the most identifiable type of Celtic art produced by the ancient Celts has been steeped in mystery for some thousand years. The symbolism is not that concrete, like the knots themselves thier meanings are fluid and abstract, more related to the universe & life in general than to spacific interactions.

This is our 3 x 6 Celtic knot border tile done in our most popular color, mossy stone.

It's a really nice color that goes well with alot of decors, but sometimes I do wonder if the name, mossy stone, also contributes to it's popularity.

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