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On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Bowl with Long Beaked-Bird

late 1200s–early 1300s

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 300

A] hunter wore leather gloves and carried the falcon on the back of either hand, preferably the left. The falcon’s feet, with little bells attached to them, were fastened to the hunter’s hand with straps,
which were unfastened when the falcon was released for hunting.
— From Description of Crane Hunting by Constantine Manasses (ca. 1130–87)

Crane hunting was a popular Byzantine sport. The long-beaked bird may be a bird of prey (the hunter) or a waterbird (the hunted).

Bowl with Long Beaked-Bird, Terracotta decorated in sgraffito, Byzantine — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Bowl with Long Beaked-Bird, Terracotta decorated in sgraffito, Byzantine

Bowl with Long Beaked-Bird, Terracotta decorated in sgraffito, Byzantine

Bowl with Long Beaked-Bird, Terracotta decorated in sgraffito, Byzantine

Bowl with Long Beaked-Bird, Terracotta decorated in sgraffito, Byzantine

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Bowl with Long Beaked-Bird

Date: late 1200s–early 1300s

Culture: Byzantine

Medium: Terracotta decorated in sgraffito

Dimensions: Overall: 3 9/16 x 10 11/16 in. (9 x 27.2 cm)

Classification: Ceramics

Credit Line: Lent by Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University

Object Number: L.2000.77.3

The Met

Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.