Jug with Horseshoes

Jug with Horseshoes

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

While intended for use in making and storing ale, this jug bears firing cracks on the side that rendered it a "waster," not suitable for holding liquid. The surface is decorated with brooches and horseshoes, emblems of the de Ferrers family. (The French word ferrer means "to shoe a horse.") As Earls of Derby, the family resided at Duffield Castle until 1266, when the building was destroyed following Robert de Ferrer’s rebellion against the king.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.