Anglo Saxon Tattoo Band Design gypsy A claddagh

A claddagh

The horseshoe and shamrocks of luck surround a father knot for a symbolic wholeness

The claddagh symbolism is here joined with a cleverly interlocked series of knot work hearts

just as the spirit of the Irish has spread to all the continents

and untamed spirit

Anglo Saxon Tattoo Band Design gypsy A claddaghThe center nose piece of an ancient Saxon war helmet found in a burial mound in England was decorated with this dramatic and complicated Celtic knotwork. Very much a traditional Celtic knot work band, it shows how the medieval cultures clashing for dominance in the island we now know as the United Kingdom shared their art styles and love of intricate ornamentation.