Muiredach, abbot of Monasterboice, 890-923 AD.; his life and surroundings . Fig. 20.—Panels [39, 58-60].{From a photograph by Mr. A. MGoogan.) on Plate VII. Panels [336, 33^/] present very ingenious devices oftwined snakes, their tails coiled round bosses (see Plate VII).These bosses have been decorated with minute basket-like interlacing,which has now, however, weathered away beyond all hope of recovery exceptin one case. An attempt at drawing out an enlargement of the deviceon this boss is added to the plate. It has been drawn with the help of a IRELAND 5 5 telescope, but the original is so
Muiredach, abbot of Monasterboice, 890-923 AD.; his life and surroundings . Fig. 20.—Panels [39, 58-60].{From a photograph by Mr. A. MGoogan.) on Plate VII. Panels [336, 33^/] present very ingenious devices oftwined snakes, their tails coiled round bosses (see Plate VII).These bosses have been decorated with minute basket-like interlacing,which has now, however, weathered away beyond all hope of recovery exceptin one case. An attempt at drawing out an enlargement of the deviceon this boss is added to the plate. It has been drawn with the help of a IRELAND 5 5 telescope, but the original is so worn that only an approximation to thedevice can be given. The human heads between the coils of the snakeson panels [59, 62], and the two dwarfs pulling each other by the beard[14], are examples of the use of human figures as motives of Fig. 21.—Panel [14]. (From a drawing by the author.) Ill MUIREDACHS MONASTERBOICE We now come to the question, what can the Cross tell us of the life thatpassed around it, within the precincts of the monastery itself ? And first, can it tell us anything more of the Abbot who caused it to bemade, beyond the meagre details recorded in the Annals ? I think it may be sure that he exercised some oversight over the choice andtreatment of the subjects sculptured on the Cross, while leaving to theartist the designing of the purely ornamental panels ; and where they differfrom the treatment of the same subject on other crosses presumably bythe same maker, we may, perhaps, detect the working of the Abbots mind. Whoever designed this Cross was a man to whose mind beautiful thingsand beautiful thoughts made an irresistible appeal. The sculptor has herebeen inspired to put forth his full strength ; he has surpassed all hisachievements elsewhere. The interlacements are of great beauty andi
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidmuiredachabb, bookyear1914
