alb3626331

Relief with a Bird

Relief with a Bird. Culture: Italian. Dimensions: Overall: 24 5/8 × 17 1/4 × 1 3/8 in., 30lb. (62.5 × 43.8 × 3.5 cm, 13.6kg). Date: 10th-11th century.
This relief,  cut down from a larger composition, shows an imaginary bird, a cock with a griffin-like head, set within foliage. It is from  Salerno, where it was said to have been built into the masonry of a church. It was reused at a later date, and cut into its present form.  While its original function is unknown, it may have been part of a chancel screen, a low wall in front of the sanctuary of a church.  The exotic and orientalizing bird reflects the rich interchange of design motifs between the Islamic, Sasanian, Byzantine, and south Italian cultures in the century around 1000.
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Title:
Relief with a Bird
Caption:
Relief with a Bird. Culture: Italian. Dimensions: Overall: 24 5/8 × 17 1/4 × 1 3/8 in., 30lb. (62.5 × 43.8 × 3.5 cm, 13.6kg). Date: 10th-11th century. This relief, cut down from a larger composition, shows an imaginary bird, a cock with a griffin-like head, set within foliage. It is from Salerno, where it was said to have been built into the masonry of a church. It was reused at a later date, and cut into its present form. While its original function is unknown, it may have been part of a chancel screen, a low wall in front of the sanctuary of a church. The exotic and orientalizing bird reflects the rich interchange of design motifs between the Islamic, Sasanian, Byzantine, and south Italian cultures in the century around 1000.
Technique/material:
Marble
Museum:
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
Credit:
Album / Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Releases:
Model: No - Property: No
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Image size:
3212 x 4283 px | 39.4 MB
Print size:
27.2 x 36.3 cm | 10.7 x 14.3 in (300 dpi)