The Franks Casket

<p>This new edition is an accessible introduction to one of the most prized objects in the British Museum, The Franks Casket- a whalebone box that has intrigued and puzzled viewers since its rediscovery in the nineteenth century. <br /> <br /> Made in northern England in the eighth century AD, the sides and lids of the rectangular casket carry some of the richest and most intricate carvings known from Anglo-Saxon times. The lively scenes depicted are drawn from a variety of sources, including Germanic and Roman legends and Jewish and Christian stories. They are accompanied by texts in both Old English and Latin, written in both the runic and Roman alphabets. <br /> <br /> At some point in its mysterious history the casket was dismantled. One of the end panels is in the Bargello in Florence; the rest of the box is in the British Museum, with the missing piece represented by a cast. <br /> <br /> This book explores the meaning and history of this extraordinary icon of Anglo-Saxon culture, describing and explaining the significance of the stories depicted in its magnificent carvings. <br /><br /> <strong>About the author</strong><br /> <br /> Leslie Webster was formerly Keeper of the Department of Prehistory and Europe at the British Museum. She specializes in the Anglo‐Saxon period and is the author of <em>Anglo‐Saxon Art</em> (British Museum Press, 2012) and co‐editor of<em> The Transformation of the Roman World</em>, <em>The Making of England</em> and <em>The Golden Age of Anglo‐Saxon Art</em>.</p>

The Franks Casket is an accessible introduction to one of the most prized objects in the British Museum – a whalebone box that has intrigued and puzzled viewers since its rediscovery in the 19^th century.

Made in northern England in the 8^th century AD, the sides and lids of the rectangular casket carry some of the richest and most intricate carvings known from Anglo-Saxon times. The lively scenes depicted are drawn from a variety of sources, including Germanic and Roman legends, and Jewish and Christian stories. They are accompanied by texts in both Old English and Latin, written in both the runic and Roman alphabets.

At some point in its mysterious history, the casket was dismantled. One of the end panels is in the Bargello in Florence; the rest of the box is in the British Museum, with the missing piece represented by a cast.

This book explores the meaning and history of this extraordinary icon of Anglo-Saxon culture, describing and explaining the significance of the stories depicted in its magnificent carvings.