Codex Aureus

The lavish binding of the Echternach Codex is one of the most important art works from the glorious period under the rule of Emperor Otto I. The precious book cover from Trier was a gift from dowager empress Theophanu and her son King Otto III to the Benedictine Abbey of Echternach, where the corresponding richly illuminated Evangeliary was produced. The precious binding made of valuable precious metal with decorative enamel elements and precious stones shows biblical figures and the four evangelists, as well as the donors. The central ivory panel depicts the crucifixion of Christ in a superbly carved ivory relief. The brilliancy with which the binding is executed shows the extremely high quality of Trier’s goldsmiths.