Necklace and Pendant Cross

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Rock crystal was a prized material because specialized artisans carefully carved pieces out of solid blocks of the rare transparent crystal, a luxury import. This necklace is thought to have been found near a Christian church dedicated to the popular warrior saint Theodore Stratelates. The necklace may have belonged to a high-ranking bishop there.

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