Enthroned Virgin and Child

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Although many ivory statues from medieval France survive, this enthroned Virgin and Child is a rare example from Spain. The wide open eyes, straight nose, rounded chin, and thick neck are typical of thirteenth- and fourteenth-century representations from the old kingdoms of Léon and Navarre. Both Virgin and Child are shown holding spherical objects (apples or orbs), symbols of authority that allude to Jesus as the new Adam and Mary as the new Eve. The Virgin is victorious; the devil in the form of a dragon lies vanquished under her feet.

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