Seated King, Probably Herod

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Said to have come from the convent of the Beguines of Namur in Belgium, this sculpture was carved by craftsmen who also worked for royal patrons in Paris. The figure’s crossed legs, often seen in representations of Herod commanding the Massacre of the Innocents, are seen as a sign of disrespect.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art