About this Piece
The traditional Gaelic greeting which means "100,000 welcomes"! The Irish respect the significance of the welcome as a threshold or rite of passage. Among Celtic culture, there is a wide recognition of the importance of chance meetings and random events with a renowned openness to new experiences, opportunities and people. This is characterised by the expansive and generous nature of the phrase "céad míle fáilte".
Carved by Tom Little.
Dimensions: 8 x 5 inches (20 x 13cm)
Check out this video for more infomation.
About the Maker
Fellow artists Brian Scott-McCarthy and Kathleen Smyth founded Wild Goose Studio in 1970. Together with other leading Irish artists, they created a unique range of artifacts that take inspiration from Ireland's rich cultural heritage and the contemporary world. Each piece starts with an inspiring thought, an image or an emotion and is given a physical form by their craftspeople.
It all starts with the marriage of an idea or meaning with an image. One of the artists will then carve that image into a sculpted piece which becomes the original from which they create a mold, so they can then faithfully reproduce the image in full detail. The production process itself starts with metal powders such as bronze or cast iron which form the outer surface of the finished piece and the inner is created from a cold cast pouring. Once the piece is set, they polish it to reveal the beauty hidden beneath.
Many of their pieces reflect Ireland's Celtic history, with its stone carvings and evocative language, while others are inspired by contemporary authors, philosophers, and the moments and milestones in life that shape our human experience.
