One Motif, Many Meanings: The Horse in Engraved Design

Some motifs recur across very different commissions and collections. The horse is one example.

It appears in sporting designs, Scottish folklore, Celtic knotwork and international presentation pieces.

Across those different contexts, the horse can carry very different associations of sport, folklore, heritage, identity and memory.

The Horse of Sport

Final Furlong features two racehorses approaching the finish. Alongside Steeplechase and Polo, it draws on the movement, anticipation and settings of equestrian sport within the Pursuits & Pastimes collection.

A personal commission inspired by the racehorse Ziggy’s Queen records a specific animal and the experiences connected to it.

The same subject therefore operates differently: the collection designs provide broader references to racing and polo, while the commission records a specific horse and shared experience.

  • Engraved whisky glass with galloping racehorses – personalised gift for racehorse owners and equestrian fans

    Engraved Final Furling Whisky Glass

  • Engraved Steeplechase Whisky Glass with horse and jockey clearing a fence

    Engraved Steeplechase Whisky Glass

  • Close-up of engraved racehorse detail on stemmed beer glass, highlighting fine linework and hand-finished sandblast engraving on clear glass.

    Ziggy's Queen Stemmed Beer Glass

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The Horse of Legend

Within Myths, Legends & Lore, horses appear as the Kelpie and the Unicorn, figures rooted in story, folklore and imagination.

The Kelpie occupies a distinctive place within Scottish tradition, while the Unicorn has long been associated with Scotland itself.

Here the horse functions as a mythic or heraldic figure, carrying associations that come from folklore and national identity rather than sport.

  • Engraved wine glass with an illustration of two unicorns galloping through the water
  • Etched prosecco glassware on a table with flowers and candles
  • Engraved wine glass with an illustration of two kelpies rising in the water
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The Horse of Heritage

The horse also appears within traditional decorative forms. The Celtic knotwork horse draws on the interwoven patterns of Celtic art.

The familiar horse form is rebuilt through interwoven knotwork, shifting the emphasis from naturalism to pattern and heritage.

  • Engraved spirit decanter with an illustration of a horse with flowing Celtic knotwork

    Celtic Knotwork Horse Decanter

  • Engraved wine glass with intricate horse engraving and personalised text

    Celtic Knotwork Wine Glass

  • Decorative award with an engraved horse emblem and 'MARCH 2026' text on a dark background

    Celtic Knotwork Horse Crystal Award

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The Horse Beyond Borders

Presentation awards for a Forth Valley College delegation visiting China incorporated the Celtic knotwork horse during the Chinese Year of the Horse.

The design connected Scottish knotwork with the horse’s significance in the Chinese zodiac. A faceted crystal award introduced changing reflections across its angled surfaces.

The knotwork carried the Scottish reference, while the horse itself provided the link to the Chinese Year of the Horse.

A Motif That Continues to Return

Across these examples, the horse appears in very different roles: sporting subject, mythic figure, decorative motif and cultural reference.

It can represent sporting achievement, folklore, heritage, identity or personal memory.

The motif remains recognisable, but its meaning changes with the source, context and object on which it appears.

Existing motifs can be adapted to different contexts, glass forms and commissions where the source material and intended meaning support it.

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