Product Details

• Actors: Various
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Kultur Video
• DVD Release Date: June 27, 2006
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000FII2NO
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,792 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The great gospel of Colum Cille was described in 1006 as the chief treasure of the western world. Nearly a thousand years later, it still remains one of the greatest achievements of Western art. For centuries the few who were privileged to see the intricate beauty of its designs called it "the work of angels."

This fascinating program conveys, for the first time on screen, the greatest glory of Irish art through imaginative use of high definition video. The Book of Kells¹ illuminated decoration and calligraphy adorning the Four Gospels have earned it the reputation as the most beautiful book in the world. Native Celtic artists in the 700s and 800s A.D. took the great gospel symbols of the Eastern Church­the four cherubim, lion, calf, eagle and man­and in the cooler air of Europe¹s northwest transformed them. The Celtic shapes and symbols used by the artists have been adopted into many aspects of today¹s art.

The Book of Kells tells the story of this magnificent masterpiece. Created on the windy Hebridean island of Iona thirteen centuries ago, it now rests in the Trinity College library in Dublin. The manuscript has mystified and motivated writers from W.B. Yeats to James Joyce and Umberto Eco, and its intricate Celtic knotwork continues to influence artists and craftsmen today.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Far more than I could dream!, September 17, 2007

By	Marshall Hudson Knapp (Fair Haven,, VT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This past summer I was able to visit the exhibit on the Book of Kells in Dublin and I felt overwhelmed at this amazing work of art and spirituality. I wondered if something might bring home the rich world that opened to me in that experience - the brilliant, rich, deep treasure that we experienced. I orderd this video hoping for something interesting. And when I watched it I felt stunned... the music, the photogrphy, the ability to draw near to "see" the intricate figures and lettering, the artful way the film wove together the roots of the Book of Kells with the work itself... from swirling prehistoric rock art, to illuminated manuscripts that preceeded the Book of Kells, to intricate metalwork... The transitions from other art forms to manuscript were so seamlessly made that they virtually took you from one medium into the other.

The DVD is exceptional in so many ways, and brings inspiration and insight for time after time viewing.
But be careful, once you have seen the DVD you may find it hard ot resist going to Dublin, Ireland to see the exhibit and a few pages of the book itself!

You may also want to see more, learn mor or or have material images to savor. Bernard Meehan, Keeper of Maunscripts at Trinity College Dublin has created a wonderful, modestly priced and richly illustrated (110 color illlustrations) book that allows the reader to continue the delight and learning. (ISBN 0-500-27790-7)

These experiences (DVD, exhibit, and book) took me from thinking of the Book of Kells as a peculiar aberration in the history of art to an experience of it's overwhelming beauty, the flower of rich roots which stretch across vast times and territories.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential companion DVD to the Book of Kells illustrated book, June 21, 2007

By	Catherine S. Todd "interested in all" (Oxford NC, USA) - See all my reviews

This DVD is absolutely marvelous, and essential in describing and deciphering the Medievel marvels of the Book of Kells, also called "the most beautiful book in the world." Highly recommended, couldn't do without it. Had the slip-case book with color plates for over 30 years and loved looking at the pictures, but until I found this DVD I never understood any of it.



The DVD has become a "Rosetta Stone" of sorts for me and for everyone that watches it. I sent a copy of both the book and the DVD to my beloved Irish 5th grade teacher, and she invited all of her friends over to have a "DVD watching party" and enjoy both the book and the DVD.



The other essential companion for all things Celtic is "Ireland's Treasures: 5000 Years of Artistic Expression" by Peter Harbison. Priced very well on Amazon.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're interested in The Book of Kells then this is for you, April 16, 2008

By	Hans Arp (Maine USA) - See all my reviews

Watching this dvd is like being given a little tour through the Book of Kells and the history surrounding the tradition of this type of manuscript and the methods used in it's creation. I found the section on
stylized metal work and engraving and the influence it shared with calligraphers to be fascinating. Watch & enjoy!