An Education Worksheet showing twelve examples of Geometric and Object Symbols from the Pictish people. The symbols were found on ancient Stones in the north of Scotland and the true meanings are unknown; no records were kept. Descriptive names have been given to the examples by researchers and scholars. The earliest Stones date to about 600 AD. This art of the Picts opens the door to the idea of abstraction; to an ability to create a visual motif from an idea. Another method artists use is the simplification of a real object to a few lines or circles as in geometry -an abstraction from the real item. Some of the symbols are more realistic while others are more abstracted and therefore geometric.
In this set of examples there are geometric designs and objects. The objects like the mirror and comb, and tuning fork may represent personal items or refer to gender or lifestyle. The choice of object becomes significant in the pre-Medieval era and mostly they appear on Class I Stones as classified in 1903.
Although there may be variations in the patterns and decoration from one Stone to another, the same item can still be identified. The comb has more variation in outline than the others, but it was always shown with the mirror. The finial endings of the V and Z Rods changed often. Many of the designs were displayed in groups and some symbols were consistently together or found in the same place in the order of the combination. Layout and placement of these symbol drawings in groups were repeated on different Stones.
There is a beautiful symmetry and balance to these Geometric and Object Symbols, both individually and in groups. The Pictish Animals are the same and were often shown in combination with these Geometric and Object examples. The Pictish Animal Symbols are shown on another Worksheet.
Pictish Geometric and Object Symbols
List from left to right
- Sun Disc or Mirror Case, Notched Rectangle with Z Rod (chariot), Mirror and Comb, Double Disc with Z Rod
- Triple Oval (bronze armlet), Horseshoe or Arch (bronze collar), Crescent and V Rod, Tuning Fork or Broken Sword
- Flower, Rectangle Shield or Book Cover, Triple Disc and Crossbar (cauldron), Serpent (Adder) and Z rod