Celtic Dove

The Celtic Dove Collection at Palenque brings together pendants and earrings that unite the symbolism of the dove with the intricate, interlaced aesthetic of Celtic design. The dove is one of the most universally recognised symbols in the decorative and sacred arts, carrying associations of peace, love, purity, and new beginnings that stretch across cultures and centuries, and it is a motif that has appeared in Celtic art and ornament since antiquity, woven into the visual language of a tradition that found profound meaning in the creatures of the natural world. It is a subject whose graceful, rounded form lends itself beautifully to the cut-out metalwork technique that defines this collection, the clean lines of the bird's silhouette providing a framework within which the intricate Celtic patterning can be worked with precision and delicacy. Each piece is crafted with intricate sterling silver cut-out detail, the design worked in silver and then layered over a copper backpiece, the warm, reddish tone of the copper visible through the cut-out elements of the silver and creating a two-tone contrast that gives each pendant and pair of earrings a richness and warmth that feels entirely in keeping with the gentle symbolism of the dove. The combination of copper and sterling silver is one with a long history in decorative metalworking, the two metals complementing each other in both colour and character, and in the Celtic Dove Collection it brings a warmth and depth to pieces whose design is otherwise one of considered restraint. The Celtic Dove Collection sits within Palenque's wider Celtic range, which includes the Butterfly, Dragonfly, Heart, Hummingbird, Knot, Sun, Thistle, and Tree of Life collections, each applying the same cut-out metalwork technique to a different motif from the natural and symbolic world. The Celtic Dove Collection is available exclusively at Palenque.