Ever since I spent my sophomore year of college studying and traveling in Ireland, I have loved all things Irish. When I saw the Art Institute of Chicago was presenting an exhibition called “Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690-1840,” I knew I had to go.

So on a Thursday after work, I walked over to the museum from my office in the Loop to take advantage of the special extended hours and free admission for Chicago residents.

This exhibition explores Ireland’s culture and decorative arts during the 18th century. On display are over 300 objects that have been amassed from public and private collections across North America, including the Art Institute’s own collection.

Irish paintings, sculpture, ceramics, glass, furniture, musical instruments and textiles are featured in a series of 10 “Made in Ireland” galleries highlighting Dublin, Cork, Belfast and Waterford as centers of production. The themed galleries explore subjects such as the history of Ireland through portraiture, Irish landscapes and tourism and life in the Irish country house.

The collection is intended to present Ireland as a complex mix of cultural cross-currents during this time period.

The first thing you see upon entering the exhibition is the enormous skull and antlers of a giant Irish elk. They span 10 feet and likely date to the close of the Ice Age, about 11,000 years ago. The position of this piece evokes the 18th-century Irish tradition of mounting elk antlers in the entrance hall of a country house to suggest a family’s long-held connection to the land.

I enjoyed the displays devoted to the making and selling of silver in Ireland. There were many pieces from the time period including the two-handled cup and cover with the crest of Broderick of Midleton, County Cork (Thomas Bolton, 1694-96) and the ornately decorated wine cistern (Thomas Sutton, 1727).

I also liked the Irish bookbinding gallery. One of the featured pieces is John Baskerville’s 1763 edition of the Bible. It is covered in red goatskin, and the covers are framed by a gold-tooled insect roll, a thistle roll and then a border made with individual foliate tools. The center of the cover has a diamond-shaped design created by the repeated use of individual small tools.

The Irish furniture gallery was filled with elegant wood desks, bookcases, chairs and tables bearing intricate carvings of all designs and patterns. The textiles gallery highlighted Irish tablecloths, clothing, quilts and needlework.

My favorite piece in the collection was the emerald green portable harp decorated with beautiful golden shamrocks and foliage (John Egan, c. 1820).

The harp (cláirseach in Irish) is a powerful and well-recognized symbol of Ireland and has served as the official emblem of the Irish state since 1922. The harp as a musical instrument was first documented in Ireland by at least the 12th century and rose to a place of high musical stature when played to accompany the recitation of bardic poetry.

Found toward the end of the exhibition in a gallery devoted to early musical instrument making in Ireland, the portable harp stood out to me as the iconic piece of the collection for its color, symbolism, political importance and design.

Of course, no celebration of Irish culture would be complete without Irish music. A combination of commissioned and period pieces plays in the background throughout the galleries and adds a festive energy to the experience.

I purchased the audio tour and enjoyed the snippets of additional stories and background material that was available ($5 for museum members and $7 for non-members). Unfortunately, I found that there were not as many audio segments for the Ireland exhibition pieces as I expected.

Information for the rest of the museum’s collections can be accessed through the same audio tour, though, so if you plan to explore outside the Ireland exhibition, it may be worth purchasing.

When you’ve finished touring the exhibition, be sure to stop in the Art Institute’s cafe for a pint of Guinness. I hear it’s good for you.

The exhibition runs through June 21. Visit artic.edu for more information.