This monograph is the first in a new series produced by the Wyvern Research Institute devoted to a single object, or a small group of objects, in the Wyvern Collection. It presents an in-depth examination of a remarkable ivory box known as the Baird casket. Its imagery is unique amongst the corpus of surviving ivories, showing scenes of combat with wildmen and their capture alongside enigmatic carvings celebrating chivalry, the Grail legend and the power of the sword. The casket is an extrodinary survival, unknown to the public until its emergence on the art market in Edinburugh in 2021, and its history within the Baird family can be traced back probably to the seventeenth century. This book icludes a careful examination of the basket's provenance, its facture and its subject matter, and concludes with a discussion of the general context of its origional ownership.
Published by Ad Ilissvm, Paul Holberton Publishing, available for purchase through their website and other retailers.