Coffret

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Latin inscription on the silver plate set in the top of this box, or coffret, reads, "But passing through the midst of them He went away." This passage from Luke (4:29–30) refers to Christ's passing safely through the crowd that was threatening to throw him from the hill on which Nazareth was built. The passage was often invoked for safety in travel and is appropriate for a box intended for jewelry or other valuables. The origin of the unusual pierced woodwork is uncertain.

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