Trio of Celtic guardians

Based on Celtic mythology, this trio of figures wearing hooded cloaks are spirits and guardians of a place or area. This lucky talisman is based on a Roman stone sculpture at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery.

The Latin name for this trio is 'genii cucullati', and the word 'genie' is derived from this. Snap up these miniature guardians for your mantelpiece and bless your home with their magical protection.

About the maker, Ruth Charlton

Ruth is a Carlisle ceramic artist who has lived and worked in the North Lakes since 1988. She studied ceramics at Bath Academy of Art in the late 1970s and has worked as a professional artist since then. Ruth was pleased to be asked by Tullie House to make these replicas of Roman sculptures from the collection and enjoyed the challenge of scaling down the pieces, making plaster moulds and then hand-modelling them in different stoneware clays. The pieces were bisque fired to 1000°C, painted with oxides and refired to 1200°C.

Ruth's ceramic work has always had a strong figurative element, with particular emphasis on facial expressions. She works on a small scale, creating miniature portraits in clay and is currently working in porcelain, discovering the textures and intensity of colours available with this medium.