Fragment of a Marble Sarcophagus

Fragment of a Marble Sarcophagus

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The monogram of Christ along with the Greek letters alpha and omega, referring to Christ as the beginning and end of all things, were common motifs on Christian tombstones. This piece—like several others from this region—oddly displays the alpha and omega upside down, probably a mistake on the part of the non-Greek-speaking sculptor.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Fragment of a Marble SarcophagusFragment of a Marble SarcophagusFragment of a Marble SarcophagusFragment of a Marble SarcophagusFragment of a Marble Sarcophagus

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.