Door Mount

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Their utilitarian function notwithstanding, medieval door mounts are often ornately designed, with geometric and fanciful motifs. Here, the beasts resemble panthers, which according to medieval bestiaries, exuded a sweet-smelling breath that attracted animals upon which they preyed. The church dedicated to Saint Leonard of Noblat near Limoges was frequented by pilgrims who believed that the saint was particularly efficacious in liberating prisoners.

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