Jug with Medallions

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The medallions wrapping around the neck of this jug, which was probably used to store liquids, are decorated with images of mounted riders. Such images were associated with the Holy Rider, who warded away evil, as well as with hunters who were identified with abundance and prosperity.

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