Always a favorite of artists due to its rich display of color and pattern, the peacock has long been celebrated throughout the world and in most of its major religions. Considered sacred in Hindu mythology and revered by Buddhists, the peacock is associated in many cultures with immortality. Some Islamic traditions describe peacocks as appearing before the gates of Paradise to greet newly-arrived souls.

In the Middle Ages legend had it that a peacock's flesh remained incorruptible after death, and so it became a symbol of the risen Christ. As such, peacock imagery is often used in Celtic manuscripts such as the Book of Kells, while in later medieval heraldry it represented both beauty and pride of carriage. The decorative “eyes” on the feathers were admired by early Christians as reminders of the all-seeing Eye of God.

Celtic artist Michael Carroll’s illuminated page BIRDS OF PARADISE features two birds with topknots and peacock feathers, entwined together and perched in the branches of a Tree of Life growing from a vase or chalice. The Tree of Life was a common image in Celtic art, and is a very old motif. It was used throughout the ancient world as a visual form of the Axis Mundi, or World Axis: the great tree with its roots below the earth in the underworld, its trunk emerging into our middle world, and its branches extending far above the clouds...the pathway between heaven and earth. In Judaism it appears in the Book of Genesis as the Tree of Knowledge; its fruits, forbidden to Adam and Eve, would be depicted in early Christian art as Eucharistic grapes. For the Celtic tribes in Europe, the mighty oak was the earthly representation of the Tree of Life and particularly impressive groves often became holy places, remaining so well into modern times.

BIRDS OF PARADISE is available as a fine art giclee print released by the artist in a limited edition of 300, printed at actual size. Each individual print is inspected and then hand numbered and signed by the artist. They are accompanied by a description and a signed certificate of authenticity; each giclee printed on heavyweight 100% cotton archival paper, using waterproof and highly lightfast pigmented inks rated to last 80 to 100 years.

Limited Edition Giclee of 300
Numbered and signed by the artist