Franks Casket
The Franks Casket, also called the Auzon Casket, is an eighth-century Anglo-Saxon chest carved from whalebone, about 23 centimetres long, with panels bearing scenes from Germanic legend, the Bible and classical history, framed by inscriptions in runes and Latin. Its front panel shows the smith Weland being released by the maiden Beadohild after his imprisonment by King Nithhad, while the right panel shows the Adoration of the Magi, a pairing of pagan and Christian imagery typical of the period. The runic inscriptions, including a cryptic challenge in Old English verse, make the casket one of t