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Casket thumbnail 2
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Casket

early 11th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Constantinople (made)

This is a Byzantine casket made in the early 11th century. The casket is made in ivory and overlaid with bone plaques. The bone plaques depict warriors and combats and on the top of the lid is an ivory panel with a battle scene in higher relief.

Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Containers
Object type
Casket
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Lock
  • Casket
Materials and techniques
Ivory and bone plaques on a wood core
Elephant Ivory
Ivory
Wood
Carving
Brief description
Casket, wood overlaid with elephant ivory and bone, Byzantine (Constantinople), early 11th century
Physical description
Casket, bone plaques carved with warriors and combats set in borders with rosettes. At the top of the lid is an oblong ivory panel with a battle scene of warriors on horse and foot in high relief.
Dimensions
  • Height: 16.8cm
  • At base length: 24.9cm
  • At top of lid length: 19.5cm
  • At base width: 16.4cm
  • At top of lid width: 10.6cm
  • Width: 25cm
  • Depth: 16.5cm
Object history
This piece was given to the Museum by Robert Goff.
The casket was radically restored in 1960 (86%).
Production
Byzantine Empire, probably early 11th century, with later restorations
Subjects depicted
Warrior
Lances
Sword
Horses
Summary
This is a Byzantine casket made in the early 11th century. The casket is made in ivory and overlaid with bone plaques. The bone plaques depict warriors and combats and on the top of the lid is an ivory panel with a battle scene in higher relief.
Bibliographic references
  • Beckwith, John. The Veroli Casket. London: HMSO, 1962. P.24, Fig. 29 a, b. (Museum Monographs No. 18)
  • Cutler, Anthony. Mistaken Antiquity: Through on Some Recent Commentary on the Rosetta Caskets. In: Sevcenko, Ihor and Hutter, Irmgard, eds. Aetos: Studies in Honour of Cyril Mango, Stuttgart, Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1998, pp. 46-54
  • Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1865. Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol. 1. London : Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 31
  • Williamson, Paul. Medieval Ivory Carvings. Early Christian to Romanesque. London, V&A Publishing, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2010, pp. 88-93, cat. no. 18
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
247:1, 2-1865

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Record createdSeptember 12, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O84215/casket-unknown/
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