Ireland's Treasures 5000 Years of Artistic Expression

"With Ireland's 5000 Years of Artistic Expression we are invited to celebrate the vigorously rich Irish cultural heritage that began more than five hundred years before the pyramids were built." Written with his special combination of authority and lightness of touch, Dr. Peter Harbison - one of Ireland's preeminent archaeologists, an entertaining lecturer, writer, and editor - offers us a look at the unique Irish culture expressed by artists whose creative powers and achievements have reached across centuries. Ireland's Treasures allows us to witness remarkable art that demonstrates the universality of all great artistic expression. From ancient portal dolmens (one of the oldest and most dramatic art forms in Ireland) to the Ardagh Chalice (the finest expression of eighth-century Irish metalworking) and the legendary Tara brooch; from Round Towers to medieval High Crosses and soaring monasteries; from the Book of Kells (the finest illuminated manuscript of Ireland's "golden age") to the elaborately carved doorway of Clonfert Cathedral (a stunning example of Irish Romanesque art); from monumental fortresses and castles to the great houses of the eighteenth century, and from gold treasures, both ecclesiastical and secular, to contemporary stained glass windows and stunning decorative arts, we celebrate this extraordinary land.