Medallion with the Feast of Ahasuerus

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The medallion must originally have formed part of a larger ensemble focusing on the story of Esther, the biblical heroine feted in the Jewish feast of Purim. By tricking her gullible Persian husband, King Ahasuerus—host of the dinner party seen here—Esther became the savior of the Jewish people. In art, her story was associated with royal women in the Burgundian Netherlands, as a means of comparing their strong commitment to their people to Esther’s good example.

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