Guardian Griffin (pair) (1150–1175): Art, History and Details

Guardian Griffin (pair) (1150–1175) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Griffins are fabled creatures that have the characteristics of an eagle and a lion—combining watchfulness and courage. In Christian art, the dual nature of the griffin was often used to signify that of Christ himself: divine (bird) and human (animal). Griffins were often used as guardian figures in church sculpture and were placed in portals and choir screens. The creatures seen here, with their inward-turning heads, were certainly used for such a purpose. When viewed from the front, one griffin may be seen clutching the figure of a knight between its paws, while the other griffin holds a calf. Their original function was probably to support the columns of a porch in front of a church doorway.

Object facts

• Title: Guardian Griffin (pair)
• Date: 1150–1175
• Culture: Northern Italy, Emilia, 12th century
• Type: Sculpture
• Technique: pink limestone (called "Verona Marble")
• Dimensions: Overall: 75.9 x 50.2 x 120.7 cm (29 7/8 x 19 3/4 x 47 1/2 in.)
• Collection: MED - Romanesque
• Department: Medieval Art
• Accession number: 1928.861

A detail from the museum

According to medieval bestiaries, griffins could tear a man to pieces and carry a whole bovine away, as seen here.

Collection credit

Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust

Further reading listed by the museum

• C. L. Ragghianti, "Sculpture del Secolo XII a Ferrara, 1," Critica d'Arte, XLII, n. s. fasc. 154-156 (JulyDecember 1977).
• The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.
• Cahn, Walter, and Linda Seidel. Romanesque Sculpture in American Collections. New York: B. Franklin, 1978.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.