A panel with a Griffin (a lion and an eagle — the king of birds and the king of animals — combined).
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Byzantine Griffin Panel
| Title | Panel with a Griffin |
| Artist(s) | Unrecorded artist |
| Dates | 1250–1300 |
| Places | Europe / Southern Europe / Greece / Serbia |
| Period, Culture, Style | Medieval / Byzantine / Late Byzantine |
| Artwork Type | Sculpture / Relief sculpture |
| Material | Marble |
| Technique | Carving |
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?
Cite this page as: Dr. Evan Freeman and Dr. Anne McClanan, "Byzantine Griffin Panel," in Smarthistory, August 10, 2019, accessed December 16, 2025, https://smarthistory.org/byzantine-griffin/.
