Dating from 300 to 1600, the exhibition will include superb examples of sculpture, metalwork, ceramics, and glass that are rarely lent. Most have never been on view in New York.

These mostly small-scale works of art are highly prized for their beauty, the value of their materials, and the exquisite workmanship that marks their creation. Among the highlights will be the Carolingian ivory cover of the Lorsch Gospels, an ivory statuette of the crucified Christ by Giovanni Pisano, Donatello's bronze Putto with Fish, a pair of gilt-bronze statuettes of prophets by Hubert Gerhard, and the Codex Forster I, one of Leonardo da Vinci's precious notebooks.

The exhibition is made possible by The David Berg Foundation.

It was organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Medieval and Renaissance Treasures from the Victoria and Albert Museum will provide a rare opportunity to see these works together before they are installed in the new Medieval and Renaissance Galleries opening at the Victoria &Albert Museum in Fall 2009.

At the Metropolitan, the exhibition is organized by Peter Barnet, Michel David-Weill Curator in Charge, Medieval Art and The Cloisters, and Ian Wardropper, Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Chairman, Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts. -- www.metmuseum.org