University Scepter

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

University scepters, generally made in pairs during the Middle Ages, were carried at the head of academic processions and signified the authority of the university faculty. The engraving on the handle states that this scepter was given in penance to the cathedral chapter of Lübeck in 1478. The circumstances are unknown, but it is probable that the heraldic shield with the arms of the bishopric of Lübeck and the figure of Saint John the Baptist, one of the patron saints of the cathedral, were added at this time. It is thought that this scepter was made for the University of Rostock and that its mate, much altered, is now in the St. Annen- Museum in Lübeck.

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