Table Base with Jonah Swallowed and Cast Up by the Big Fish

Table Base with Jonah Swallowed and Cast Up by the Big Fish

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This table base displays the story of Jonah (Jonah 1:12–2:10), who is shown being swallowed by a ketos, a legendary sea monster of the classical world, and then being rescued. According to Matthew (12:40), the story of Jonah was a foretelling of the Resurrection of Christ. The ship is a rare detailed depiction of a Roman merchant ship. Tarsos, where the base was found, was the birthplace of Saint Paul and an important Christian city.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Table Base with Jonah Swallowed and Cast Up by the Big FishTable Base with Jonah Swallowed and Cast Up by the Big FishTable Base with Jonah Swallowed and Cast Up by the Big FishTable Base with Jonah Swallowed and Cast Up by the Big FishTable Base with Jonah Swallowed and Cast Up by the Big Fish

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.