Cross

George Laskaris (Giorgios Laskaris)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The intricately carved cross was used when the clergy blessed the faithful. Its handle inserts into the ten-sided base. The four tiers of the base depict forty-eight scenes from the Hebrew Bible, which Christian theologians regarded as prefiguring events in the life of Christ. On the cross are the related scenes from Christ's life. The intricate carvings are typical of later Byzantine works.

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