Fragment of an Animal Relief
Unknown Artist
ca. 1150
Medium
Marble (Lunense marble from Carrara)
Dimensions
Overall: 13 1/8 x 11 7/8 x 8 1/2 in. (33.3 x 30.2 x 21.6 cm) weight: 67lb. (30.4kg)
Classification
Sculpture-Stone
Culture
Italian
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1909
Accession Number
09.152.8
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Fragment of an Animal Relief carved around 1150 from fine Lunense marble quarried in Carrara, Italy, offers a glimpse into the vibrant world of Romanesque sculpture. Measuring just over a foot across and weighing a substantial 67 pounds, this piece likely once adorned a church portal, capital, or architectural frieze. The unknown Italian artist's skillful low-relief carving captures the dynamic form of an animal—possibly a lion or fantastical beast—common in medieval decoration, where such motifs symbolized strength, guardianship, or biblical narratives like Daniel in the lions...