Relief Frieze

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A lion and leopard sprint toward the center of this wood lintel, while other animals sit peacefully. Peacocks of paradise guard a gemmed cross between billowing curtains, draped and held behind two columns. A continuous, decorative stem of vines, flowers, and bunches of grapes encircle the animals in six medallions, creating a motif known as rinceau. The original bright blues, pinks, and greens would have enlivened the decoration of the lintel. The artist merged classical motifs that would typically represent prosperity with Christian themes, possibly illustrating a biblical passage (Isaiah 11:6). During the Late Antique period, Christians aspired to a good life.

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