Sweetmeat Fork

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Graceful design, fine workmanship, and costly materials transform this essentially utilitarian implement into a luxury object of striking elegance. As forks were rarely used for eating until the 16th century, this example was probably used for serving sweetmeats or other delicacies. It is uncertain whether the unusual polyhedral terminus has a functional or symbolic purpose.

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