Distributed in North America for Mercatorfonds.Celtic art is the first important contribution made by the peoples of Northern Europe to European art. In this book, masterpieces of Celtic art covering fourteen centuries from its origins in the early 7th century B.C. to its late blossoming in Irish book illumination in the period around A.D. 700 are presented. The exceptional pieces exemplifying this art are selected from all over Europe, from Scotland to Hungary. The puzzling and highly developed ornamental repertoire of the Celts is elucidated and made intelligible through original archaeological finds, diagrams and computer simulations.