The Secret of Kells

Celtic mythology and breathtaking animation come to life in a first-of-its-kind stationery collection created in partnership with Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon. The studio’s powerful stories and mesmerizing visuals have captured the hearts of young and old alike. With their striking original artwork and captivating scenes, the connection we feel with these emotive tales is undeniable.

Cartoon Saloon’s celebrated Irish Folklore Trilogy is a series that particularly resonates with us. Exploring universal themes and emotions, the Academy Award–nominated fairy tales take viewers through visually lush and immersive worlds.

Favouring the traditional craft of hand-drawn animation, the films’ swirling, intricate patterns of ancient Irish art breathe life into the stories they tell. This approach sets the studio’s work apart in the animation world, which has gone almost entirely digital. It’s these shared philosophies that made this collaboration feel like a natural step for us. We are thrilled to have Tomm Moore, who has directed several of the studio’s most successful films, contribute unique illustrated elements exclusively for our collaborative covers.

Reproduced here is artwork from The Secret of Kells, the first installment in Moore's Irish Folklore Trilogy, preceding the films Song of the Sea (2014) and WolfWalkers (2020). Released in 2009, The Secret of Kells gained the studio international recognition.

Set in eighth-century Ireland, the stunning artwork was influenced by Irish medieval illustrations, creating a visual depth unmatched by many mainstream offerings. The bewitching fairy tale is a spirited retelling of the origin of the Book of Kells, an ancient illuminated manuscript that is Ireland’s most cherished artifact. The film’s ethereal quality is heightened by influences of Celtic mythology with references to the pagan god Crom Cruach and the poetic genre called aisling, which is the namesake of the story’s fairy girl.

The animation pays tribute to the treasured book through compelling design concepts that echo the arrangements of celtic art in the pages of the real artifact through representations of the natural world. The Secret of Kells’ captivating central metaphor, originating from old Gaelic, about “turning darkness into light,” enhances the depth of this enthralling piece of animated film.