Casket

The refined casket made of painted ivory, created by Islamic artisans, originally was used for non-religious purposes. In a period following its donation to the Cathedral - allegedly by prince bishop Federico Vanga (1207-1218) – the casket started being used for liturgical purposes, along with the other two caskets on display here.
On the front side, horse-mounted falconers are depicted in two circles. Of particular interest is the inscription running along the edge of the lid: written in cursive Arabic (naskhi), it contains amorous verses that are also found, with very small variations, in the Egyptian versions of the Arabian Nights.