6oz Stainless Steel Hip Flask. Complete with presentation box, a perfect gift for any gentleman.
Triskeles are one of the most common elements of Celtic art; they are found in a variety of styles in both ancient and modern Celtic art, especially in relation to the depictions of the Mother Goddess. They also evoke the Celtic concept of the domains of material existence - Earth, Water and Sky, and their interrelations.
While many of the ancient designs certainly had some spiritually significant meaning, these have been lost to the ages. The continual looping of the designs suggests themes of eternity and interconnectedness, and knots may have been at one time to foil evil spirits. Interwoven figures of people and animals may have represented the interdependent natures of life-two or more knots laced together symbolize lovers, hunters and their prey, God and man, etc. Some knots were used as magical talismans for protection.
The crest of three ostrich plumes and the motto of “Ich Dien” meaning “I serve” were adopted by the Black Prince at the Battle of Crecy. The feathers and the motto were suggested by the decorations of the King of Bohemia who led the cavalry charges against the English.
In heraldry a dragon varies greatly in especially in the shape of its ears, however the wings are those of a bat. The tongue and the tail can often be barbed and breathes out fire, it is also a symbol of power, wisdom and the one who has overcome an adversary. The poets Aneirin and Taliesin use the Welsh word for dragon – ‘draig’ in the sense of a warrior of leader. This use is reflected in the Arthurian Legends where the British chiefs in times of extreme danger were conferred in the title – ‘Pendragon’ or headed-dragon, investing them with supreme power, such as that granted to Uther Pendragon, King Arthur’s father.
How, you may ask, did such a thorny flower become a National Emblem? Well, so the story goes, a very long time ago when Scotland was ravaged by Viking invaders, a group of Scottish fighting men were resting overnight in a field. Unknown to them, a raiding party was preparing to attack this group of Scots, under cover of darkness. As the attacking Vikings approached the encamped Scots, they stood on a patch of Thistles with their bare feet and, of course, let out cries of pain as the thorns dug deep into the soles and toes. The Scots, Having been awakened by this rammy, were able to fight off the attackers. So, from that day, the Thistle has been adopted as Scotland’s National Emblem.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1868. In 1884 he began an apprenticeship with John Hutchinson and began attending evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art. In 1889 he became an architectural assistant with Honeyman and Keppie along with enrolling at the Glasgow School of Art. In 1890 he won a travelling scholarship and toured Italy before settling down into practice. An outstanding architect, furniture designer, and painter, who pioneered the Modern Movement in Scotland, Mackintosh’s works exist as the greatest flowering of the British Arts and Crafts movement in either Scotland or England. Mackintosh sadly died in London in 1928.