Gandersheim Casket

The Gandersheim Casket is a small Anglo-Saxon chest from the 8th century, housed in Dankwarderode Castle, a part of the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum in Braunschweig, Germany.

The panels of the casket are decorated with interlace carvings of animals, plants and abstract shapes. A runic inscription appears on the inner side of the lid. Whilst the inscription is damaged and illegible in parts, it has been translated by Tineke Looijenga [de] and Theo Vennemann as 'I baptise you in the sign of the cross/in the holy name of Christ. I write (on) you the sign of the cross (with) chrism. Sick (men's) oil (in the name of Christ). Holy Oil, chrism, water.'^[1] This suggests that the casket may have been used to store holy oil for ecclesiastical purposes.