Editing Celts (section)

===Celtic art===
[[File:Scuto Battersea BritMu252a.jpg|thumb|The [[Battersea Shield]], a ceremonial bronze shield dated 3rd–1st century BC, is an example of La Tène [[Celtic art]] from Britain]]
{{main|Celtic art}}

Celtic art is generally used by art historians to refer to art of the La Tène period across Europe, while the [[Early Medieval]] art of Britain and Ireland, that is what "Celtic art" evokes for much of the general public, is called [[Insular art]] in art history. Both styles absorbed considerable influences from non-Celtic sources, but retained a preference for geometrical decoration over figurative subjects, which are often extremely stylised when they do appear; narrative scenes only appear under outside influence. Energetic circular forms, [[triskele]]s and spirals are characteristic. Much of the surviving material is in precious metal, which no doubt gives a very unrepresentative picture, but apart from [[Pictish stones]] and the Insular [[high crosses]], large [[monumental sculpture]], even with decorative carving, is very rare; possibly it was originally common in wood. Celts were also able to create developed musical instruments such as the carnyces, these famous war trumpets used before the battle to frighten the enemy, as the best preserved found in [[Tintignac]] ([[Gaul]]) in 2004 and which were decorated with a boar head or a snake head.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://tintignac.wix.com/tintignac-naves#!english/c11e3 |title=Accueil |trans-title=Home |work=Site archéologique de Tintignac-Naves |language=fr |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150801011716/http://tintignac.wix.com/tintignac-naves |archive-date=1 August 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[interlace (art)|interlace]] patterns that are often regarded as typical of "Celtic art" were characteristic of the whole of the British Isles, a style referred to as [[Insular art]], or Hiberno-Saxon art. This artistic style incorporated elements of La Tène, Late Roman, and, most importantly, [[Germanic animal style|animal Style II]] of Germanic [[Migration Period art]]. The style was taken up with great skill and enthusiasm by Celtic artists in metalwork and [[illuminated manuscript]]s. Equally, the forms used for the finest Insular art were all adopted from the Roman world: [[Gospel book]]s like the [[Book of Kells]] and [[Book of Lindisfarne]], chalices like the [[Ardagh Chalice]] and [[Derrynaflan Chalice]], and [[Celtic brooch|penannular brooch]]es like the [[Tara Brooch]] and [[Roscrea Brooch]]. These works are from the period of peak achievement of Insular art, which lasted from the 7th to the 9th centuries, before the [[Viking]] attacks sharply set back cultural life.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}

In contrast the less well known but often spectacular art of the richest earlier Continental Celts, before they were conquered by the Romans, often adopted elements of Roman, Greek and other "foreign" styles (and possibly used imported craftsmen) to decorate objects that were distinctively Celtic. After the Roman conquests, some Celtic elements remained in popular art, especially [[Ancient Roman pottery]], of which Gaul was actually the largest producer, mostly in Italian styles, but also producing work in local taste, including [[figurine]]s of deities and wares painted with animals and other subjects in highly formalised styles. [[Roman Britain]] also took more interest in [[vitreous enamel|enamel]] than most of the Empire, and its development of [[champlevé]] technique was probably important to the later [[Medieval art]] of the whole of Europe, of which the energy and freedom of Insular decoration was an important element. Rising nationalism brought [[Celtic Revival|Celtic revivals]] from the 19th century.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}