Fragment from a Two-Sided Sanctuary Screen with Birds Eating Grapes

5th–6th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 302

This fragment was probably part of the waist-high screen that separated the congregation (in the nave of the church) from the clergy (in the sanctuary). This side would have faced the congregation and shows birds eating grapes, a symbolic allusion to the Eucharist.

Artwork Details

Title: Fragment from a Two-Sided Sanctuary Screen with Birds Eating Grapes
Date: 5th–6th century
Geography: Made in Egypt, Bawit
Medium: Limestone, red pigment; carved in relief
Dimensions: H. 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm)
W. 13 3/16 in. (33.5 cm)
D. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1910
Object Number: 10.175.18
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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