Illuminated sheep have appeared at Carlisle Castle as part of a touring sculpture exhibition.
The sculptures, created by artist Deepa Mann-Kler, were inspired by the Lindisfarne Gospel’s themes of light and pilgrimage.
The Lindisfarne Gospels are an illuminated manuscript created around 715-720 AD on the island of Lindisfarne, off the northeast coast of England.
This remarkable work is one of the most important surviving early medieval manuscripts and is a masterpiece of Hiberno-Saxon art, which blends elements of both Anglo-Saxon and Celtic (or Insular) artistic traditions.
The gospels are renowned for their intricate and colourful illustrations, or illuminations. The manuscript includes elaborate carpet pages (full-page decorations that resemble textiles), ornamental initials, and portraits of the evangelists.
The artwork combines Christian imagery with intricate Celtic knotwork, zoomorphic interlace, and geometric designs.
The Lindisfarne Gospels are currently housed in the British Library in London and are regarded as a national treasure of early English history.
The Illuminated Sheep artwork has since seen a flock of life-sized sheep lit up in bright colours at various sites along the Hadrian’s Wall route.
The piece, called Illuminated Sheep, was commissioned by Northumberland County Council and developed and managed by Queen’s Hall Arts and the Hexham Culture Network.
It was part of the Cultural Programme of Hexham High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) and funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority, now the new North East Combined Authority.
A spokesperson from Tullie, a museum opposite the castle, said: “Say hello to Millie, if you can see through her camouflage, Ewenice and Stella.
“You can find them at Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life, Tullie, and Carlisle Cathedral respectively.”
They said there’s a special trail between venues, tours of the Prior’s Tower at the cathedral, the castle’s outer ward with the Museum of Military Life, and a garden trail at Tullie House.
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