Highlights

Description

You have to travel to Munich to see one of the most prominent examples of Viking art. This wholly singular object was probably created as a diplomatic gift for the emperor. It was preserved because for centuries it was venerated in a Bamberg church treasure as the box of Saint Empress Kunigunde. Created around the time the Vikings transitioned to Christianity, the lid is decorated with pagan and ancient motifs in combination with the cross. The ornamentation appears to be rather abstract at first. On closer inspection, various birds and predators and even a human face can be discerned. The box was originally fitted with a complicated locking mechanism.