This c1000 reliquary was made in Scandinavia but located in the treasury at Bamberg Cathedral, and in the 19th C found its way to Munich’s Bavarian National Museum, where I took these photos (back in March 2023):
~
From the museum label:
**Casket of Saint Kunigunde**
Scandinavia, around 1000
Oak wood with mammoth(?) ivory, gilded bronze fittings
From the cathedral treasury in Bamberg
On the 16 carved panels, birds and quadrupeds fill the entire surface in ribbon-like interlacing of equal density. On one of the roof panels there is a triangular human face, whose hair strands and mustache/beard merge in the same way into the general interlace work; underneath on the panel below are two crouching birds. The slits on the lid possibly indicate a cross. The bronze fittings are also covered with interlace work; on the roof are several animal heads.
The ornamentation connects the carved rows most closely with works of the Vikings. A larger casket with similar ornamentation was located until 1945 in the cathedral treasury of Cammin in Pomerania.
Aug 21
at
11:24 AM
Relevant people
Log in or sign up
Join the most interesting and insightful discussions.