A Knight of the d'Aluye Family

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Across three generations, men of the d’Aluye family of France embarked for the Holy Land, their mission to reclaim it for European Christians and redeem their own souls. The pride of this knight was such that he chose to be presented for eternity as a heavily armed—but prayerful—warrior. His sword does not match his armor; its form is typical of Chinese weaponry. Did he purchase it in a market of the Holy Land or forcibly wrest it from an adversary?

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