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BUCKLES
The ST JUSTIN, belt buckles, crafted by hand in the ancient Cornish tin-mining area of West Penwith England, using Cornish smelted pewter, reflect and celebrate the beauty of
ancient Celtic artistry. The buckles feature spirals, interlocking knotwork, stylized animals, and the Celtic Cross. The spiral design is a major theme in Celtic art, and stems from
examples in nature, such as shells and growth rings in plants. The sunwise and antisunwise spiral respectively represent the cycle of nature, such as sunset to sunrise, dark to light,
winter to summer. The knotwork designs have neither a beginning nor an end, and symbolize the endless cycle of natural life, together with a never-ending bond of the soul to the
world. The Celtic animal designs celebrate the relationship these ancient people had to the natural world and the deep appreciation and respect for all living things. The Celts were at
one with nature, and worked within it, not against it. The Celts recognized that form adapts to nature, and that life changes to meet the demands of the natural world. Animals were
also symbolic. The serpent was a symbol of healing, divine wisdom and fertility. The horse was a symbol of fertility, beauty, and abundance. The mythical horse, Cabbyl Ushtey,
would take the form of a beautiful white horse that would rise from the mist and tempt weary travelers only to disappear with them into the mist from which they would never return.
The dragon symbolized sovereignty and the guardian of secret knowledge. The Celtic Cross symbolized the bridge between the Earth and Sky. The vertical axis represents the
celestial world and the horizontal axis represents the earthly plane. The circle around the cross symbolizes the never-ending circle of life. These crosses, carved in stone thousands
of years ago, can still be seen today.
As you can see, each buckle tells an ancient story and is certainly meant to be worn with pride and appreciation of the gifts the Celtic people have given to the world. These gifts,
both in their art and appreciation of nature and our place in the natural world are celebrated in each buckle.
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