An Aniconic Early Christian Silver Reliquary and Related Objects

An unpublished cube-shaped silver casket, most likely made in Niš (Naissus) and now in a private collection in Vienna, is decorated with a Christogram and geometric motifs. Stylistic comparisons support a date in the middle of the fourth century, and the layout of its aniconic decoration associates the casket with a group of early silver reliquaries. The selection of geometric motifs resembles the use of synonyms, when multiple words communicate the same or similar ideas. If the interpretation of the patterns presented here is accepted, the aniconic decoration of the casket evokes patterns that resemble or refer to crosses. The material, image, and function of the aniconic casket shed light on the use of silver for containers of sacred matter, such as relics of the True Cross, by the middle of the fourth century.