Head of a Crozier with Saint Michael Slaying the Dragon
At the center of this decoration for a ceremonial staff, the Archangel Michael spears a wingless dragon with a foliate tail. In the Bible’s Book of Revelation, Michael battles a fearsome dragon representing the Devil, expressing the struggle and eventual triumph of good over evil. The rest of the object is crawling with reptilian creatures: a large serpentine dragon attempts to devour the archangel, wings first, while smaller lizard-like beasts adorn the knop and handle.
Artwork Details
- Title: Head of a Crozier with Saint Michael Slaying the Dragon
- Date: 1220–30
- Geography: Made in Limoges, France
- Culture: French
- Medium: Gilded copper with champlevé enamel and glass paste
- Dimensions: 12 13/16 × 4 15/16 × 2 3/4 in. (32.5 × 12.5 × 7 cm)
- Classification: Enamels-Champlevé
- Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
- Object Number: 17.190.834a, b
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters
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ca. 1220–1230
ca. 1150
ca. 1220–40, with later grill
ca. 1200–1220
ca. 1180–90
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