The Eight Circled Cross is a folio 'Carpet Page' within the Book of Kells, which is on display at Trinity College, Dublin, the oldest University in Ireland, built in 1592.
Carpet pages are a characteristic feature of Insular illuminated manuscripts. They are pages of mainly geometrical ornamentation, which may include repeated animal forms, typically placed at the beginning of each of the four Gospels in Gospel Books. The designation "carpet page" is used to describe those pages in Christian, Islamic, or Jewish illuminated manuscripts that contain little or no text and which are filled entirely with decorative motifs. They are distinct from pages devoted to highly decorated historiated initials, though the style of decoration may be very similar.
Carpet pages are wholly devoted to ornamentation with brilliant colors, active lines, and complex patterns of interlace. They are normally symmetrical, or very nearly so, about both a horizontal and vertical axis, though for example the page at right is only symmetrical about a vertical axis. Some art historians find their origin in similar Coptic decorative book pages, and they also clearly borrow from contemporary metalwork decoration. Oriental carpets, or other textiles, may themselves have been influences. The tooled leather book binding of the St Cuthbert Gospel represents a simple carpet page in another medium, and the few surviving treasure bindings - metalwork book covers or book shrines - from the same period, such as that on the Lindau Gospels, are also close parallels. Roman floor mosaics seen in post-Roman Britain, are also cited as a possible source. The Hebrew Codex Cairensis, from 9th century Galilee, also contains a similar type of page, but stylistically very different.
The earliest surviving example is from the early 7th century Bobbio Orosius, and relates more closely to Late Antique decoration. There are notable carpet pages in the Book of Kells, Lindisfarne Gospels, Book of Durrow, and other manuscripts.
Carpet pages are also found in some medieval Hebrew manuscripts, typically opening the major sections of the book. Islamic manuscripts, especially Qu'rans, often have pages entirely devoted to complex geometrical decoration, but the term is not usually used of them.
Eight Circled Cross
George Bain Drawing - Beginning of the Eight Circled Cross.
The probable geometrical beginning of the page of the Eight Circled Cross. Book of Kells.
Eight Circled Cross
Geometrical layout with instruments necessary for the scribe of the page of the Eight Circled Cross of the Book of Kells. - George Bain.
Eight Circled Cross
George Bain Drawing - Spiral Group from the Eight Circled Cross.
Right. Panel Humans and Birds, where one human foot extends over the left curve opposite to this one.
The panel contains 4 men and 8 birds.
The necessary layout with compasses for the lower right circle of the page of the Eight Circled Cross of the Book of Kells.
Eight Circled Cross
9 spaces by 2 spaces.
The necessary layout required by the scribe before interlacing in two lines.
Details from the lower right circle of the Eight Circled Cross page of the Book of Kells.
The actual diameter is about 1 and a quarter inches.
The interlacing knotwork border is about three quarter inch long.
The Eight Circled Cross - Border Detail
'This design is repeated in the middle of four sides of the border of the page of the Eight Circled Cross of the Book of Kells. The interlacing symbol of the original can be completely covered by a sixpence'.
'This symbol is for Nov 1st, All Saints Day. On a Staffordshire Clogg'.
'Is this a labyrinth? or a symbol of eternity? or when used 4 times on the extreme border, a symbol of 'eternal security?' - George Bain.
The Eight Circled Cross - Centre of Border Detail
This George Bain drawing shows the four stages of construction for the centre of the boarder detail from the page of the Eight Circled Cross from the Book of Kells
Eight Circled Cross
Details of one of the two panels of the Page of the Eight Circles Cross of the Book of Kells. The other contains the same FOUR men and EIGHT BIRDS in reverse, actual size in the original 1 and a half inch.