Processional Cross

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Intended for processional use rather than for stationary placement upon an altar, this cross is of a type developed in northern Spain that would have originally contained translucent enamel plaques, like those exhibited nearby. The central medallion on the front shows Christ in Majesty, with the mourning Virgin on the left terminal and Adam rising from the tomb at the base, while at the top is an image alluding to the self-sacrifice of the devout pelican in order to save her young. On the back the four Evangelist symbols surround a medallion featuring the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).

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