Capital with Bust of the Archangel Michael

1250–1300

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 303

Restituted

This artwork was restituted in September 2025. It is no longer in the museum’s collection.

On loan to The Met

This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.

This beautifully carved fragment was once part of the interior architecture of a church, perhaps placed at the top of a tomb niche or altar screen. Archangels were often portrayed, as here, in the ceremonial dress of the Byzantine emperor, the head of Christ's earthly court.

Artwork Details

Title: Capital with Bust of the Archangel Michael
Date: 1250–1300
Geography: Made in Constantinople
Culture: Byzantine
Medium: Marble
Dimensions: Overall: 10 x 6 3/4 x 4 3/16 in. (25.4 x 17.1 x 10.6 cm)
Classification: Sculpture-Architectural
Credit Line: Lent by the Republic of Türkiye
Object Number: L.2025.28
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters