A panel with a Griffin (a lion and an eagle — the king of birds and the king of animals — combined).
For the classroom
Questions for study or discussion
Thinking about context
- What function did this object likely serve?
- What details indicate that this object was created for a Christian setting?
Thinking about this object
- What materials and techniques were used to create this object?
- What role do materials and techniques play in the object’s appearance and the viewer’s experience of it?
Thinking about iconography/subject matter
- What is a griffin?
- What significance did griffins hold?
- How might this imagery relate to the object’s function?
Thinking about art history
- In what other cultures and media do griffins appear?
- Why do you think this motif appears across different periods and cultures?
