Dish with The Heroism of Marcus Curtius

Dish with The Heroism of Marcus Curtius

Guido de Merlino

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Marcus Curtius saved Rome by throwing himself into a mystical chasm in the Forum. On this dish he appears on horseback, ready to plunge into the dark pit gaping below. While the precise function of this piece remains unknown, the Roman champion is depicted within a relatively deep well, which could accommodate substantial fare.


European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dish with The Heroism of Marcus CurtiusDish with The Heroism of Marcus CurtiusDish with The Heroism of Marcus CurtiusDish with The Heroism of Marcus CurtiusDish with The Heroism of Marcus Curtius

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.