Bowl with Lioness

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Images of lions were popular throughout the medieval world. Although lions were rare in Byzantium, they appear frequently in art—from illuminated manuscripts and elegant silver to everyday objects, such as ceramics and copper-alloy jewelry—and in literature, both secular and religious. The boldly stylized pose of the lioness, which suggests the beast’s power, is also seen on Islamic metalwork.

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