Two Riddles of the Queen of Sheba

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Although the Bible states that the Queen of Sheba posed difficult questions to Solomon, their content, not specified in the biblical text, comes from eastern folklore. Here the queen asks Solomon how to tell the boy from the girl in a look-alike pair and the real flower from an identical artificial flower. Solomon replies that the girl will catch the apple in the lap of her dress and the bee will go only to the real flower. The figure of Solomon shows the influence of the Upper Rhenish engraver Master E.S. The unusual and extensive use of Ghiordes knot in the costumes and in the hair of Solomon is thought to be characteristic of Strasbourg workshops. Please note that this object is exhibited on a rotating basis, due to conservation requirements.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art