Floor plan

Time and placeThe 14th century

The 14th century

Saint Julian, by Taddeo Gaddi, 1340s
Handscroll
Shown from the waist up, a woman wearing a garnet-red robe rests a book and a palm frond against a spiked wheel, all against a gold background in this arched, vertical painting. The woman’s light skin is tinged with pale green, and her cheeks are faint pink. Her shoulders face us, and she slightly looks up and off to our right with gray eyes under curved brows. She has a long, straight nose, and her small, full, bow-shaped lips are closed. Her wavy blond hair is parted down the middle and pulled back at the base of her head. Her red robe has a pattern of delicate diamond shapes and the underside is white, visible where it turns over around the neck. The robe is fastened with a round, gold disk the size of a DVD. Letters there read, “S.K.A.T.E.R.I.N.A.” around the perimeter of a four-lobed, red, blue, and gold geometric design at the center of the brooch. The sky-blue garment beneath her robe has a marine-blue collar. She clasps the palm frond in her left hand, to our right. The hand rests on the book, which is propped against the wheel in front of her, so the frond reaches beyond and above that shoulder, nearly to the edge of the painting. The wheel is edged with short, curving spikes like talons. The woman’s gold crown and round halo blend into the shimmering gold background, which is visibly cracked in some areas. The top of the panel curves up as if into an arch but is cut across the panel over her halo.
Hanging scroll (mounted on panel)
Su Shi (Dongpo) in a Bamboo Hat and Clogs, by Zuigan Ryūsei, before 1460
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, by Pietro Lorenzetti, ca. 1342
The Fourth King of Hell, late 1300s
Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript, by Ahmad ibn al-Suhrawardi al-Bakri, dated 707 AH/1307–8 CE

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in the 14th century, anywhere in the world.

First room, north wall

  1. Saint Julian, by Taddeo Gaddi, 1340s
    Saint JulianTaddeo Gaddi, 1340sCourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Handscroll
    Palace ladies tuning a zither (qin)Traditionally attributed to Zhou Fang, 1368-1644Courtesy of the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution
  3. Shown from the waist up, a woman wearing a garnet-red robe rests a book and a palm frond against a spiked wheel, all against a gold background in this arched, vertical painting. The woman’s light skin is tinged with pale green, and her cheeks are faint pink. Her shoulders face us, and she slightly looks up and off to our right with gray eyes under curved brows. She has a long, straight nose, and her small, full, bow-shaped lips are closed. Her wavy blond hair is parted down the middle and pulled back at the base of her head. Her red robe has a pattern of delicate diamond shapes and the underside is white, visible where it turns over around the neck. The robe is fastened with a round, gold disk the size of a DVD. Letters there read, “S.K.A.T.E.R.I.N.A.” around the perimeter of a four-lobed, red, blue, and gold geometric design at the center of the brooch. The sky-blue garment beneath her robe has a marine-blue collar. She clasps the palm frond in her left hand, to our right. The hand rests on the book, which is propped against the wheel in front of her, so the frond reaches beyond and above that shoulder, nearly to the edge of the painting. The wheel is edged with short, curving spikes like talons. The woman’s gold crown and round halo blend into the shimmering gold background, which is visibly cracked in some areas. The top of the panel curves up as if into an arch but is cut across the panel over her halo.
    Saint Catherine of AlexandriaBartolomeo Bulgarini, c. 1335/1340Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. Hanging scroll (mounted on panel)
    The dragon king revering the BuddhaChen Hongshou, 1368-1644Courtesy of the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution

First room, south wall

  1. Su Shi (Dongpo) in a Bamboo Hat and Clogs, by Zuigan Ryūsei, before 1460
    Su Shi (Dongpo) in a Bamboo Hat and ClogsZuigan Ryūsei, before 1460Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Saint Catherine of Alexandria, by Pietro Lorenzetti, ca. 1342
    Saint Catherine of AlexandriaPietro Lorenzetti, ca. 1342Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. The Fourth King of Hell, late 1300s
    The Fourth King of HellUnrecorded Korean maker, late 1300sCourtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  4. Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript, by Ahmad ibn al-Suhrawardi al-Bakri, dated 707 AH/1307–8 CE
    Folio from a Qur'an ManuscriptAhmad ibn al-Suhrawardi al-Bakri, dated 707 AH/1307–8 CECourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Second room, south wall

  1. The Agony in the Garden, by Ludwig of Ulm
    The Agony in the GardenLudwig of UlmCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Woods and Valleys of Mount Yu, by Ni Zan, dated 1372
    Woods and Valleys of Mount YuNi Zan, dated 1372Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. Christ in Majesty with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist: Single Leaf from a Book of Rules, by Master of the Washington Coronation, c. 1310–20
    Christ in Majesty with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist: Single Leaf from a Book of RulesMaster of the Washington Coronation, c. 1310–20Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  4. Lineage Portrait of an Abbot, ca. 1350
    Lineage Portrait of an AbbotUnrecorded Himalayan maker, ca. 1350Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Second room, north wall

  1. "The Elephant Clock", Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari, by Farrukh ibn `Abd al-Latif, dated 715 AH/1315 CE
    "The Elephant Clock", Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-JazariFarrukh ibn `Abd al-Latif, dated 715 AH/1315 CECourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. The Crucifixion, by Pietro Lorenzetti, 1340s
    The CrucifixionPietro Lorenzetti, 1340sCourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. Saint Andrew, by Simone Martini, ca. 1326
    Saint AndrewSimone Martini, ca. 1326Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  4. Portrait of Shun'oku Myōha, ca. 1383
    Portrait of Shun'oku MyōhaUnrecorded Japanese maker, ca. 1383Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art