Bowl with Bird of Prey

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The bird’s hooked beak signals that it is a bird of prey. It may be a falcon trained for the hunt. Falconry or hawking was enjoyed by the aristocracy, who generally hunted with trained predators. Practical manuals describing the breeding, training, and treatment of these highly prized birds are evidence of the sport’s popularity.

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