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The few survivors of a great artistic period, the books of Durrow, Kells, Lindisfarne and St. Chad will shed a light for future generations upon the greatness of the art and the other cultures of the Picts and the Briton. - George Bain - Celtic Art, The methods of Construction.]]>
The interlacing of human form and Celtic knots evolved from laws forbidding drawing portraits of human figures as this was tantamount to copying a work of the creator, “God the Almighty,” explains Bain in his book Celtic Art. Similarly, it was forbidden to draw animals or plants. Angels and mythic creatures, on the other hand, were not of the earthly realm. And Saints had departed this realm. Thus, Celtic knot patterns were used to represent most of the human form, while heads, appendages and tails were often depicted using more life-like representations.]]>
Zoomorphism is the shaping of something in animal form or terms. Examples include: Art that imagines humans as non-human animals. Art that portrays one species of animal like another species of animal.]]>
- George Bain, Celtic Art, The Methods of Construction.]]>
The comb and mirror are thought to be symbols of female wealth and prestige, and may denote a woman’s memorial, although they are also heavily associated with mermaids.]]>
Also sometimes a square shaped motif with Z-rod symbol is represented.

It is thought that the rectangle in the centre of the lower half of these shapes, may represent a doorway.]]>
The Z-rod, like the V-rod, may represent a broken arrow or spear, but again this is a Pictish symbol of unknown meaning.
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