Capital with Four Heads
Unknown Artist
ca. 1225–50
Medium
Limestone
Dimensions
Overall: 14 1/8 x 13 x 13 in. (35.9 x 33 x 33 cm) Base: 7 3/4 in. (19.7 cm) Hole for Pin Mount: 9/16 x 2 3/16 in. (1.4 x 5.5 cm) weight: 108lb. (49kg)
Classification
Sculpture-Architectural
Culture
Italian
Department
The Cloisters
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of James Hazen Hyde, 1955
Accession Number
55.66
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the medieval world at The Cloisters with this striking *Capital with Four Heads*, a limestone architectural sculpture crafted by an unknown Italian artist around 1225–50. Measuring about 14 inches tall and weighing a hefty 108 pounds, this cube-shaped capital—topped with a practical hole for pin mounting—once crowned a column in a church or cloister, supporting arches while delighting worshippers below. Its modest dimensions belie its robust presence, carved from durable limestone typical of Italian medieval building. The four carved heads, emerging from the capital's corners, exemp...