Last time you visited the corner of curator Naomi Speakman, she walked you through the meaning and myths held in medieval bestiaries. The time before that she walked you through the meaning and myths held in medieval jewels and jewelery.
In this episode, Naomi’s turns the tables, and walks you through the elaborate, Gothic ivory caskets that frequently held those same medieval manuscripts and items of jewelery. And much like those items, these caskets are also packed to the brim with medieval myths and stories. Many of the characters in these myths may be unfamiliar to you, but at least a couple will have familiar names and faces. However, the situations they find themselves in? Not so much.
A Little Background on “Caskets”
Gothic ivory boxes are called "caskets" because the word comes from the Old French term "coffret," meaning a "box" or "little chest," and it was used in the medieval period for decorative, small luxury containers rather than funeral coffins, which were sometimes called "coffins" or even "caskets" in the 16th and 17th centuries. These ivory caskets functioned as tokens of affection and were used by aristocrats to store jewelry, love tokens, or personal treasures.
Part 1
Part 2
