The beatitudes casket. A new reconstructive hypothesis

Abstract

The following is a small ivory chest belonging to the Collegiate church of San Isidoro of León although it is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain in Madrid since 1869. It was made during the 11th century. Being hardly damaged, it needed from restoration works based on small pieces of ivory coming from the former independent Muslim-ruled principalities (Taifas) along with the artist’s workroom of Ferdinand I of León and Castile and Sancha of León. Its original visual appearance is a mystery that we are trying to solve in the present work1