Vessel in the Shape of a Bear

Vessel in the Shape of a Bear

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The bear was a popular animal in exhibitions and circus acts. The vessel, probably used for oils or ointments for the bath, would have been filled through the hinged opening at the back of the bear’s neck and emptied through its mouth.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vessel in the Shape of a BearVessel in the Shape of a BearVessel in the Shape of a BearVessel in the Shape of a BearVessel in the Shape of a Bear

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.