The Collection
The American Wing Ancient Near Eastern Art Arms and Armor The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing Asian Art The Cloisters The Costume Institute Drawings and Prints Egyptian Art European Paintings European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Greek and Roman Art Islamic Art Robert Lehman Collection The Libraries Medieval Art Musical Instruments Photographs Antonio Ratti Textile Center Modern and Contemporary Art

Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Mosaic of Menorah with Lulav and Ethrog

North African (Hammam Lif, Tunisia)

6th century

Not on view

This mosaic originally accompanied a dedicatory inscription of the synagogue benefactor, Julia. Other donor inscriptions from the region use similar decorative frames to showcase family crests. It depicts a lulav (palm branch) and ethrog (citron), two ritual objects mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and used for pilgrimage festivals. While the lulav and ethrog may have been restored later, the depiction of the menorah with a tripod stand is typical for this period.

Mosaic of Menorah with Lulav and Ethrog, Stone tesserae, North African (Hammam Lif, Tunisia) — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Mosaic of Menorah with Lulav and Ethrog

Date: 6th century

Geography: Made in Tunisia, excavated Hammam Lif Synagogue

Culture: North African (Hammam Lif, Tunisia)

Medium: Stone tesserae

Dimensions: 22 5/8 × 34 15/16 × 1 3/4 in., 110.5 lb. (57.4 × 88.8 × 4.4 cm, 50.1 kg)

Classification: Mosaics

Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum, New York, Museum Collection Fund (05.26)

Rights and Reproduction: Photo by Brooklyn Museum

The Met

Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.