Veroli Casket
Type:
Boxes
Date:
Late tenth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Turkey
Dimensions:
11.5 × 40.3 × ca. 16 cm
Description:
The Veroli Casket is a Byzantine wooden box covered with carved ivory and bone plaques that display scenes from classical mythology or imitate ancient coins. In Greek, the word for ivory is related to the word deceive, and many of the scenes hinge on themes of deception (e.g., Iphigenia and the Rape of Europa). The erotic and humorous imagery was meant to entertain elite viewers.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
6
Repository and Online Resources:
• Read about the casket and see many more details on the Victoria and Albert Museum website
• Read more about the casket and middle Byzantine secular arts on the Smarthistory website.
Image Credits:
Flickr; Wikimedia Commons
