Altar Angel

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This elegant elongated figure originally stood atop a tall column that supported rods for curtains that shielded the sacred area of the altar. The angel originally was painted in rich colors and gilded, and probably once held either a candlestick or an object associated with the suffering of Jesus. Large wings once graced the figure.

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