Although most of my engravings have been done in boxwood, this one was engraved in rock maple, on a block given to me by the late New Hampshire wood engraver Herbert Waters. It is a study of some of the intricate interwoven knotwork and religious symbolism found in the Irish manuscript of the Bible, known as the Book of Kells. There are fish, lions, serpents, an eagle, the tree of life, and other unexplained Celtic design elements. The Book of Kells dates to about 800 A.D.  At 5.5" x 7.25" this is one of my largest engravings.

Randy Miller

Wood Engravings

Text and image copyright © 2000 by Randy Miller. All rights reserved.

Site updated Sept 4, 2010

Images from the Book of Kells

When you purchase Images from the Book of Kells by Randy Miller, you are acquiring an original work of art, engraved by hand in wood and printed by the artist. It is not a photographic or digital reproduction.

A note about Editions: The prints are not strictly limited in number. This is due to the durability of boxwood, my choice of wood for engraving. It is an extremely dense hardwood capable of yielding thousands of prints with no noticeable deterioration. I therefore number my prints in Editions of 200, succeeding editions denoted by a Roman numeral “II”, “III” and so on. This allows for continued functional use of an increasingly scarce wood.

The artist uses black, oil-based ink on smooth, Welsh cream-colored paper called basingwerk. The print is signed, titled and numbered in pencil by the artist and enclosed in a clear plastic sleeve. The print is suitable for matting and framing. Shipped via USPS Priority Mail.

  1. • Images from the Book of Kells

  2. • Edition I

  3. • Actual image size, 5.5”x7.25”

  4. • $50

  1. • Images from the Book of Kells

  2. • Edition I

  3. • Actual image size, 5.5”x7.25”

  4. • $50