Iona, Iona Abbey Museum. View of MacKinnon's Cross showing detail of cat's head carved into edge L83.

Description Iona, Iona Abbey Museum. View of MacKinnon's Cross showing detail of cat's head carved into edge L83.

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number SC 369793

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of AG 8983

Scope and Content Fragment of a carved cross, on Iona, Argyll and Bute Iona is one of the most important religious sites in Scotland. The earliest community was formed by St Columba who came over from Ireland around AD 563. This was replaced by the Benedictine Abbey and Augustinian Nunnery in around AD 1200. This image shows one the details carved in the hollow down the side of the cross-shaft. This particular carving is a cat's head, set between the two roll mouldings which border the hollow. The cross appears to be the work of more than one sculptor. An effigy of Abbot MacKinnon lies in the choir of the abbey church. The style belongs to the Iona school of carving and it is now in the Abbey Museum (No 93). Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/369793

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap