Cuala Press (active Dublin, 1902 - 1946)
Rune of Hospitality, 1910-1925
Ink and watercolor; handcolored wood block print, 17.7 x 11.5 cm (6 15/16 x 4 1/2 in.)
This is a small ink and watercolor wood block print. It displays Christ as a traveler figure, with his worldly goods tied into a bundle. He is shown wearing a long-hooded red cloak and carrying a walking stick and light brown bag in his hand to our left. He has a halo, shoulder-length dark hair, eyes, and beard. There is a simple farmstead visible behind him, and a dark mountain range in the distance with a light blue sky above. There is a poem printed below the image.
Commentary
This small print displays the figure of Christ as a traveler, his worldly goods tied into a cloth on a stick, a simple Irish farmstead visible behind him. The text shares the lessons of a “Gaelic rune” in which the reader is cautioned that Christ may appear in a “stranger’s guise,” a reminder to respect and show generosity to visitors and newcomers. The Cuala Press was established in 1908 by Lily and Elizabeth Yeats, who were sisters of the Irish poet William Butler Yeats.