The Werden Casket Reconsidered
John Beckwith
ALMOST universally accepted as late antique ivory carving, the group of three panels known Werden Casket (Fig. 1) presents a number problems, both stylistic and iconographic, which have never been satisfactorily resolved. Indeed, because early Christian monuments survive only sporadically there is little hope for complete resolution iconographic problems connected with them. The attempt to localize themes has led scholars in past construct some startling hypotheses ride them roughshod over midden discrete styles. As result, use iconography an indication provenance caused casket be switched more than once from one side Mediterranean other, or different parts Europe, marked confusion opinion its date.1
Art Bulletin