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2 Inch Castle Kennedy to New Luce
Kist maker: Lizzie Farey
Design taken from: Whithorn cross from Glen Luce in National Museum of Scotland.
Date: 1000 years ago
The choice of the design from a cross slab in Glen Luce for this merk picks up on the politics of early Christianity of Scotland. It is characteristic of a group of 10th /11th century crosses, most of which have wheel or disc-shaped heads, which are found in Galloway and are particularly well represented at Whithorn, some twenty miles away to the south. It was most probably placed out on the hill to inform travellers that they were within the area of authority of the important cathedral church there. Contemporary with this there were three other cross designs in Scotland: a Celtic cross for the North West, a Pictish one for the North East, and an Anglian one for the South East. All of them appear to have been used to mark out areas under the sway of a particular church.


Lizzie Farey, Artist & Basketmaker
8 Threave Road
CASTLE DOUGLAS
DG7 1TD

01556 680473


The inspiration for Lizzie Farey’s work comes from the textures and colours found in the natural materials around her. Much of her work is experimental and pushes out the boundaries of traditional technique. Using willow that she grows herself, as well as larch, dogwood, hazel, wild raspberry, ash, rowan and wild plum, she exhibits in New York and widely in the UK. She cuts her materials in a sensitive way to allow regeneration and sees her baskets as ‘reminders of the intense pleasure of nature’. Her kist should certainly strike that chord with those observant enough to find it.