Medallion with Man Fighting Basilisk
Unknown Artist
ca. 1240–60
Medium
Copper: engraved and gilt; champlevé enamel: medium and light blue and white
Dimensions
Overall: 3 1/2 x 1/16 in. (8.9 x 0.2 cm)
Classification
Enamels-Champlevé
Culture
French
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.2149
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate medallion, created by an unknown French artist around 1240–60, captures a thrilling medieval confrontation: a determined man locked in combat with a basilisk, the mythical serpent-king whose deadly gaze and venom struck terror in folklore. Measuring just 3 1/2 inches across and remarkably thin at 1/16 inch, this tiny treasure was likely designed for personal devotion, such as adorning a reliquary, book cover or jewelry, embodying the era's fascination with moral tales from bestiaries. Crafted in engraved and gilt copper with champlevé enamel in vibrant medium and light blues acc...