Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Prayer Bead with the Legend of Saint Jerome
Not on view
The legend of Saint Jerome appears on a deep stage constructed from successive layers of carving. Scientific imaging has revealed eleventh-hour additions by the carver, including the tiny deer on the left in the upper half.
In the lower half, we see the happy ending of one part of the legend. A partly obscured lion, famously befriended by Saint Jerome in the wilderness, has caught traders (some on camelback) who had stolen a donkey red-handed; with a great roar, he facilitates the rescue of the kidnapped beast. The guilty cohorts in the front beg for mercy.
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