Two Scenes from "Der Busant" (The Buzzard)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Rücklaken were intended to be hung around the walls of domestic interiors. In this narrative tapestry, two scenes from the late medieval poem, "The Buzzard," are illustrated. The prince of England is depicted as a wildman, and the princess of France meets a miller who offers her refuge. The middle high German inscription alludes to the princess seeking refuge, whereupon the man replies: "Willingly, though as a poor man I can offer you nothing." The scenes are related to other fragments housed in museums in Cologne, London, and Paris.

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