Editing Tetramorph

{{Short description|Symbolic arrangement of four differing elements}}
[[File:Tetramorph meteora.jpg|thumb|300px|A composition of the [[Four Living Creatures]] into one tetramorph. [[St Matthew|Matthew]] the man, [[St Mark|Mark]] the lion, [[St Luke|Luke]] the ox, and [[John the Evangelist|John]] the eagle.]]
A '''tetramorph''' is a symbolic arrangement of four differing elements, or the combination of four disparate elements in one unit. The term is derived from the Greek ''tetra'', meaning four, and ''morph'', shape.

The word comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] for "four forms" or "shapes". In English usage, each symbol may be described as a tetramorph in the singular, and a group as "the tetramorphs", but usually only in contexts where all four are included. The tetramorphs were especially common in Early [[Medieval art]], above all in illuminated [[Gospel book]]s, but remain common in religious art to the present day.

In [[Christian art]], the tetramorph is the union of the symbols of the [[Four Evangelists]], derived from the four [[Living creatures (Bible)|living creatures]] in the [[Book of Ezekiel]], into a single figure or, more commonly, a group of four figures.  Each of the four Evangelists is associated with one of the living creatures, usually shown with wings. The most common association, but not the original or only, is: [[St Mark|Mark]] the King, [[Lion of Saint Mark|Lion]]; [[St Luke|Luke]] the lowly Servant, Ox; [[St Matthew|Matthew]] the Angel; and [[John the Evangelist|John]] [[eagle of Saint John|the Eagle]]. In Christian art and [[iconography]], [[Evangelist portrait]]s are often  accompanied by tetramorphs, or the symbols alone used to represent them. [[Evangelist portraits]] that depict them in their human forms are often accompanied by their symbolic creatures, and [[Christ in Majesty]] is often shown surrounded by the four symbols.

==Origins==
[[Image:Human headed winged bull facing.jpg|thumb|An [[Assyria]]n [[lamassu]] dated 721 BC.]]
Images of unions of different elements into one symbol were originally used by the Ancient Egyptians, [[Assyria]]ns, and Greeks. The image of the [[sphinx]], found in Egypt and [[Babylon]], depicted the body of a lion and the head of a human, while the [[Harpy|harpies]] of Greek mythology showed bird-like human women.

===Ezekiel's living creatures===
{{main|Living creatures (Bible)}}
The prophet [[Ezekiel]] lived among the Jews who were [[Babylonian exile|exiled to Babylon]] in the 6th century BC. The creatures in his vision, from which the images of the tetramorph are derived, are reminiscent of ancient Assyrian art.<ref>Whittick, Arnold. ''Symbols, Signs, and their Meaning''. Leonard Hill Ltd, 1960, p. 134.</ref>

The animals associated with the Christian tetramorph originate in the Babylonian symbols of the four fixed signs of the zodiac: the ox representing [[Taurus (astrology)|Taurus]]; the lion representing [[Leo (astrology)|Leo]]; the eagle representing [[Scorpio (astrology)|Scorpio]]; the man or angel representing [[Aquarius (astrology)|Aquarius]]. In [[Western astrology]], the four symbols are associated with the elements of, respectively Earth, Fire, Water, and Air.{{cn|date=November 2024}} The creatures of the Christian tetramorph were also common in [[Egyptian mythology|Egyptian]], [[Greek mythology|Greek]], and Assyrian mythology. The early Christians adopted this symbolism and adapted it for the four Evangelists<ref name="ReferenceA">”Four Evangelists (Tetramorphs)”. ''Symboldictionary''. http://symboldictionary.net/?p=486</ref> as the tetramorph, which first appears in Christian art in the 5th century,<ref name="ReferenceB">Clement, Clara Erskine. ''Saints in Art''. Gale Research Company, 1974, p. 34.</ref> but whose interpretative origin stems from [[Irenaeus]] in the 2nd century.

The elements of the Christian tetramorph first appear in the vision of Ezekiel, who describes the four creatures as they appear to him in a vision:
{{quote|As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Ezekiel|1:10|KJV}}</ref>}}

They are described later in the [[Book of Revelation]]:
{{quote|And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Revelation|4:7|KJV}}</ref>}}

===The four evangelists as four living creatures===
{{main|Four Evangelists}}
[[File:CLUNY-Coffret Christ 1.JPG|thumb|300px|A 13th-century ivory carving of [[Christ in Majesty]] surrounded by the creatures of the tetramorph, in the [[Musée de Cluny]], Paris.]]
The association of the four living creatures with the four evangelists originated with Irenaeus in the 2nd century. The interpretation of each creature has varied through church history. The most common interpretation, first laid out by [[Victorinus of Pettau|Victorinus]] and adopted by [[Jerome]], [[St Gregory]], and the [[Book of Kells]], is that the man is Matthew, the lion Mark, the ox Luke, and the eagle John. The creatures of the tetramorph, just like the four gospels of the Evangelists, represent four facets of Christ.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!  colspan=2 | Source and scheme !! Man !! Lion !! Calf !! Eagle
|-
| [[Irenaeus]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, III.11.8 (St. Irenaeus) |url=https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103311.htm |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=www.newadvent.org}} | [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101074938968&seq=58 Greek and Latin versions (ed. Harvey, vol. 2, p. 46-50])</ref> (130–202) || 1 || Matthew || John || Luke || Mark
|-
| [[Hippolytus of Rome]] (170–235) || 3 || Mark || Matthew || Luke || John
|-
| [[Victorinus of Pettau]]<ref>Cf. Armstrong, J. J., "Victorinus of Pettau as the author of the 'Canon Muratori'": «Irenaeus  and Victorinus each  associate  John with  the  lion,  Matthew  with  the man,  Luke  with  the  calf,  and Mark with  the eagle.»</ref> (d. 304) || 1 || Matthew || John || Luke || Mark
|-
| [[Fortunatianus of Aquileia]] (c. 300-370) || 1 || (Unknown) || John || (Unknown) || Mark
|-
| [[Epiphanius of Salamis]] (310–403) || 2 || Matthew || Mark || Luke || John
|-
| [[Chromatius of Aquileia]] (d. 407) || 1 || Matthew || John || Luke || Mark
|-
| [[Jerome]] (347–420)<ref>Jerome, ''Commentary on Matthew'', trans. Thomas P. Scheck. Fathers of the Church, vol. 17 (Catholic University of America Press, 2008.), 55.</ref> || 2 || Matthew || Mark || Luke || John
|-
| [[Pseudo-Athanasius]] (c. 350)<ref>''Synopsis scripturae sacrae'' (PG 28.432.39-51)
</ref> || 6 || Matthew || Luke || Mark || John
|-
| [[Ambrose]] (340–397) || 2 || Matthew || Mark || Luke || John
|-
| [[Augustine of Hippo]] (354–430) || 3 || Mark || Matthew || Luke || John
|-
| [[Primasius of Hadrumetum]] (d. 560) || 3 || Mark || Matthew || Luke || John
|-
| [[Pope Gregory I]] (540–604)<ref>Gregory the Great, ''Homilies on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel'', trans. Theodosia Tomkinson, 2nd ed. (Etna, CA: Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, 2008), 73-74: "For the Only-Begotten Son of God himself truly became man; he deigned to die like an ox at sacrifice for our salvation; he, through the virtue of his fortitude, rose as a lion.... Furthermore, ascending to heaven after his resurrection, he was borne aloft to the heights like an eagle. He is therefore wholly within us at the same time, who became a man in being born, an ox in dying, a lion in rising again, and an eagle in ascending to the heavens."</ref> || 2 || Matthew || Mark || Luke || John
|-
| [[Book of Durrow]] (c. 700) || 1 || Matthew || John || Luke || Mark
|-
| [[Lindisfarne Gospels]] (c. 715) || 2 || Matthew || Mark || Luke || John
|-
| [[Book of Kells]] (c. 800)<ref>Folio 27v</ref> || 2 || Matthew || Mark || Luke || John
|-
| [[Adam of Saint Victor]] (d. 1146) || 2 || Matthew || Mark || Luke || John
|-
| [[Theophylact of Ohrid]] (c. 1055–1107+)<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/TheGospelAccordingToSt.Mark/page/n7/mode/1up |title=The Explanation of the Gospel According To St. Mark, by Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid |language=English}}</ref>|| 1 || Matthew || John || Luke || Mark
|-
| [[Thomas Aquinas]] (1225–1274) || 2 || Matthew || Mark || Luke || John
|-
| [[Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary]] (1873)<ref>Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown. ''Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments,'' Vol. 2. (New York: S.S. Scranton, 1873), 565. [https://archive.org/details/commentarycritic00jami/page/564/mode/2up?view=theater Online]. </ref> || 4 || Luke || Matthew || Mark || John
|-
| [[Watchman Nee]] (1903–1972)<ref>Watchman Nee, Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 54 (1948; Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1994) p. 119</ref> || 4 || Luke || Matthew || Mark || John
|-
| [[Aimee Semple McPherson]] (1890–1944) || 5 || Luke || John || Mark || Matthew
|-
| [[Harry A. Ironside]] (1876–1951)<ref>''Expository Notes on Ezekiel the Prophet'', ch. 1</ref> || 4 || Luke || Matthew || Mark || John
|-
| [[Scofield Reference Bible]] (1967 ed.)<ref>Scofield Reference Bible (New York: Oxford University Press, 1967), p. 838. Note: an interpretation of the four living creatures did not appear in the original two editions (1909, 1917).</ref> || 4 || Luke || Matthew || Mark || John
|}

It is clear from the table that various interpretive schemes have been followed through church history. The five main schemes are summarized below with a representative proponent and rationale. The given rationale usually has to do with how each Gospel begins, major themes in each Gospel, or the aspect of Christ emphasized in each Gospel.

'''1st scheme—Irenaeus'''

The man is Matthew, because his Gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus; the lion is John, because his Gospel begins full of confidence; the ox is Luke, because his Gospel begins with priestly sacrifice; and the eagle is Mark, because his Gospel begins with the prophecy of Isaiah. Irenaeus originates this connection between the four living creatures and the four evangelists because he is looking for an answer to the question "Why four Gospels?"

'''2nd scheme (most common)—Jerome'''

The rationale given for this scheme is how each Gospel narrative begins. Matthew is the man because he begins with a genealogy; Mark is the lion, roaring in the desert with prophetic power; Luke is the ox, because he begins with temple sacrifice; and John is the eagle, flying heavenwards like the divine Word. It must be said that at a certain point, once enough interpretive authorities in the church backed this scheme, many who followed simply defaulted to their authority.

'''3rd scheme—Augustine'''

The lion is Matthew, because Matthew's Gospel depicts Christ royal character, he who descended from the tribe of Judah; the ox is Luke, because Christ is shown in his priestly character; the man is Mark, because of the humanity of Christ shown in that Gospel focusing on the things the man did; and the eagle is John, because the mystery of the Word ascends to heaven. Augustine departs from Jerome's scheme saying, "This latter formulation focuses only on the beginnings of the books and not on the overall plan of the evangelists, which is what should have been examined more thoroughly."<ref>Augustine, ''Agreement among the Evangelists'', I,6,9
</ref>

'''4th scheme—Jamieson-Fausset-Brown'''

The lion is Matthew, because Matthew portrays the Lord Jesus as the King; the ox is Mark, because Mark portrays Him as a servant; the man is Luke, because Luke portrays Him as a perfect, genuine man; the eagle is John, because John portrays Him as God. This view takes the creatures as symbols of "not the personal character of the Evangelists, but the manifold aspect of Christ... presented by them severally."<ref>Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, ''Commentary'', 565: "The Fathers identified them with the four Gospels, Matthew the lion, Mark the ox, Luke the man, John the eagle: these symbols, thus viewed, express not the personal character of the Evangelists, but the manifold aspect of ''Christ'' in relation to the world… presented by them severally: the lion expressing ''royalty'', as Matthew gives prominence to this feature of Christ; the ox, ''laborious endurance'', Christ's prominent characteristic in Mark; man, ''brotherly sympathy'' with the whole race of man, Christ's prominent feature in Luke; the eagle, ''soaring majesty'', prominent in John's description of Christ as the Divine Word… The redeemed election-Church similarly, when in and through Christ (with whom she shall reign) she realizes the ideal of man, shall combine in herself human perfections having a fourfold aspect: (1) kingly righteousness with hatred of evil and judicial equity, answering to the 'lion'; (2) laborious diligence in every duty, the 'ox'; (3) human sympathy, the 'man'; (4) the contemplation of heavenly truth, the 'eagle.'"</ref>

'''5th scheme—Aimee Semple McPherson'''

The Eagle is Matthew, who presents Jesus as the King who will soon return to seek his people, Jesus Will Return; the ox is Luke, where he presents Jesus as the suffering servant who bore our sickness, Jesus Healing; The Face of Man (representing Mark) presents Jesus as the perfect man who came to save us, Jesus Saves; The Lion is John presents Jesus as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit.

==The tetramorph in art==

===Representation and symbolism in Christianity===
[[File:KellsFol027v4Evang.jpg|thumb|The [[Four Evangelists]] as illustrated in the [[Book of Kells]], {{c.}} 800 AD.]]
{{main|Four Evangelists}}
The creatures of the tetramorph, as they appear in their animal forms, are predominantly shown as winged figures. The wings, an ancient symbol of divinity, represent the divinity of the Evangelists, the divine nature of Christ, and the virtues required for Christian salvation. <ref>Male, Emile. ''The Gothic Image: Religious Art in France of the Thirteenth Century''. HarperCollins, 1913, pp. 35-7.</ref> In regards to the depiction of St Mark in particular, the use of wings distinguish him from images of St Jerome, who is also associated with the image of a lion.<ref>Clement, Clara Erskine. ''Saints in Art''. Gale Research Company, 1974, p. 48.</ref>

The perfect human body of Christ was originally represented as a winged man, and was later adapted for St Matthew in order to symbolise Christ's humanity.<ref name="ReferenceC">Charbonneau-Lassay, Louis. ''The Symbolic Animals of Christianity''. Stuart & Watkins, 1970.</ref> In the context of the tetramorphs, the winged man indicates Christ's humanity and reason, as well as Matthew's account of the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|Incarnation of Christ]].<ref name="ReferenceD">Schuetz-Miller, Mardith K. “Survival of Early Christian Symbolism in Monastic Churches of New Spain and Visions of the Millennial Kingdom”. ''Journal of the Southwest''. 42.4 (2000): 763-800. Print.</ref> The lion of St Mark represents courage, resurrection, and royalty, coinciding with the theme of Christ as king in Mark's gospel. It is also interpreted as the [[Lion of Judah]] as a reference to Christ's royal lineage.<ref name="ReferenceD" /> The ox, or bull, is an ancient Christian symbol of redemption and life through sacrifice,<ref name="ReferenceC" /> signifying Luke's records of Christ as a priest and his ultimate sacrifice for the future of humanity. The eagle represents the sky, heavens, and the human spirit, paralleling the divine nature of Christ.<ref>”Symbols of the Four Evangelists in Christian Art”. ''Sacred Destinations''. {{cite web |url=http://www.sacred-destinations.com/reference/symbols-of-four-evangelists |title=Symbols of the Four Evangelists in History and Art |accessdate=2012-03-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301094315/http://www.sacred-destinations.com/reference/symbols-of-four-evangelists |archivedate=2012-03-01 }}.</ref>

In their earliest appearances, the Evangelists were depicted in their human forms each with a scroll or a book to represent the Gospels. By the 5th century, images of the Evangelists evolved into their respective tetramorphs.<ref name="ReferenceB" /> By the later Middle Ages, the tetramorph in the form of creatures was used less frequently. Instead, the Evangelists were often shown in their human forms accompanied by their symbolic creatures, or as men with the heads of animals.<ref>Tabon, Margaret. ''The Saints in Art''. Gale Research Company, 1969, p. 72.</ref>

In images where the creatures surround Christ, the winged man and the eagle are often depicted at Christ's sides, with the lion and the ox positioned lower by his feet, with the man on Christ's right, taking precedence over the eagle, and the lion to the left of the ox. These positions reflect the medieval [[great chain of being]].<ref>”Symbols of the Four Evangelists”. ''Sacred Destinations''. {{cite web |url=http://www.sacred-destinations.com/reference/symbols-of-four-evangelists |title=Symbols of the Four Evangelists in History and Art |accessdate=2012-03-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301094315/http://www.sacred-destinations.com/reference/symbols-of-four-evangelists |archivedate=2012-03-01 }}.</ref>

===Depictions in Christian art===

====Architecture====

The use of the tetramorph in architecture is most common in the decoration of Christian churches. On medieval churches, the symbols of the Evangelists are usually found above westerly-facing portals and in the eastern [[apse]], particularly surrounding the enthroned figure of [[Christ in Glory]] in scenes of the Last Judgment.<ref>"Symbols of the Four Evangelists". ''Sacred Destinations''. {{cite web |url=http://www.sacred-destinations.com/reference/symbols-of-four-evangelists |title=Symbols of the Four Evangelists in History and Art |accessdate=2012-03-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301094315/http://www.sacred-destinations.com/reference/symbols-of-four-evangelists |archivedate=2012-03-01 }}.</ref> This image of Christ in Glory often features Christ [[pantocrator]] in a [[Aureola|mandorla]] surrounded by the creatures of the tetramorph is often found on the spherical ceiling inside the apse, typically as a mosaic or fresco. Older [[Rome|Roman]] churches, such as [[Santa Pudenziana]] and [[Santa Maria in Trastevere]], mosaics often depict the four creatures in a straight line rather than in a circular formation.<ref name="ReferenceE">"Archangels and Evangelists". ''Paradox Palace''. {{cite web |url=http://www.paradoxplace.com/Church_Stuff/Archangels_Evangelists.htm |title=Archangels Evangelists |accessdate=2012-03-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502133247/http://paradoxplace.com/Church_Stuff/Archangels_Evangelists.htm |archivedate=2012-05-02 }}.</ref>

Medieval churches also feature sculptures of bas-relief symbols of the Evangelists on western facades, externally around eastern apse windows, or as large statues atop apse walls.<ref name="ReferenceE" /> Generally all four creatures of the tetramorph will be found together in either one image or in one structure, but it is not unheard of to have a single Evangelist dominate the imagery of the church. This is usually found in cities that bear one of the Evangelists as their [[patron saint]]. A notable example is [[St Mark's Basilica]] in [[Venice]], where the winged lion is the city's mascot and St Mark is the city's patron saint.

<gallery>

File:Apsis_mosaic_San_Clemente.jpg|12th-century apse mosaic from [[Basilica di San Clemente]] in [[Rome]].
File:San_Marco_cathedral_in_Venice.JPG|Detail of the rooftop of San Marco cathedral in Venice.
File:Chartres2006_092.jpg|Central portal of [[Chartres Cathedral]] in [[Chartres]].

</gallery>

====Painting and manuscript illumination====

Most illuminated [[Gospel book]]s were prefaced with [[Evangelist portrait]]s, often combined on a single page. [[Insular art|Insular]] manuscripts were very focused on abstract linear patterns that combined Mediterranean, [[Anglo-Saxon art|Anglo-Saxon]] and [[Celtic art|Celtic]] influences, the latter mostly traceable from surviving metalwork. The artists of the period were initially more comfortable with images of animals than humans, so in early [[Gospel Book]]s the Evangelists were represented as tetramorphic symbols rather than portraits. Their preferences for abstract, geometric, and stylized art led to a lot of differences in portrayals of the tetramorphs. Celtic artists would paint the creatures in a relatively realistic fashion, or their divine nature would be emphasised through the inclusion of wings or human traits, such as hands in place of talons or the animal standing upright.<ref>''Visual Arts Cork'', [http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/cultural-history-of-ireland/illuminated-manuscripts.htm ”Irish Illuminated Manuscripts”]</ref>

The Evangelists and tetramorphs were highly featured in [[Ottonian art|Ottonian]] manuscripts as the Gospel books, [[pericopes]], and the Apocalypse were most popular. While they imitated the [[Byzantine]] artistic style, [[Carolingian art|Carolingian]] illuminations consciously revived the [[Early Christian art and architecture|early Christian style]], and was much more elaborate than Celtic or Insular art.

For most illuminated manuscript portraits, the Evangelist typically occupied a full page. Though numerous examples of [[Late Antiquity|Late Antique]] portraits featured each figure in a standing position, the Evangelists were predominantly depicted in a seated position at a writing desk or with a book or scroll, both in reference to the Gospels. The symbols of the tetramorphs were most common in the Middle Ages until the [[Romanesque art|Romanesque]] period before they fell out of favour and images of the Evangelists in their human forms became more common. However, the tetramorphs were still used and were found in artwork of the [[Renaissance]] and even in [[modern art]]. A notable 20th century example is the massive tapestry by Graham Sutherland which hangs in Coventry Cathedral.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_in_Glory_tapestry_by_Graham_Sutherland_in_Coventry_Cathedral.jpg|title=English: The Christ in Glory tapestry by Graham Sutherland, installed in Coventry Cathedral in 1962. The tapestry, which measures 75 feet by 38 feet (23 m x 11.5 m), is said to be the largest one-piece tapestry in the world.&#91;1&#93;|date=4 February 2018}}</ref>
<gallery>
File:EchternachGospelsLionImage.GIF|St Mark as the lion as depicted in the [[Echternach Gospels]], c. 800, Hiberno-Saxon.
File:Karolingischer_Buchmaler_um_820_001.jpg|Illumination of the four Evangelists with their symbols, c. 820, Carolingian.
File:BambergApocalypseFolio047vJubilationOverFallOfBabylon.JPG|Christ and the tetramorphs in the [[Bamberg Apocalypse]], c. 1000, Ottonian.
File:Meister_aus_Tahull_001.jpg|[[Apse of Sant Climent de Taüll|Christ surrounded by the Evangelists]], c. 1123, Romanesque fresco.
File:AberdeenBestiaryFolio004vChristInMajesty.jpg|[[Christ in Majesty]] from the [[Aberdeen Bestiary]], c. 12th century, manuscript illumination.
File:Stundenbuch_der_Maria_von_Burgund_Wien_cod._1857_Der_Evangelist_Lukas.jpg|St Luke in [[Hours of Mary of Burgundy|The Hours of Mary of Burgundy]], c. 1477, Northern Renaissance manuscript illumination.
File:Raffael_099.jpg|''[[Ezekiel's Vision (Raphael)|Ezekiel’s Vision]]'' by [[Raphael]], c. 1518, Renaissance painting.
</gallery>

===Other depictions===
The tetramorph of the four [[living creatures (Bible)|living creatures]] is depicted on the [[The World (Tarot card)|World card]] of many [[tarot]] decks, including the [[Tarot of Marseilles]] and the [[Rider-Waite tarot deck]]. It is also depicted in some [[Islamic art]].
<gallery>
File:Jean Dodal Tarot trump 21.jpg|The [[The World (Tarot card)|World card]] from the Jean Dodal [[Tarot of Marseille]] deck (1701–1715)
File:05 L'Homme et Les Quadrupedes - H. Pussey Grand Etteilla Tarot Deck.jpg|The World card from the Grand [[Etteilla]] tarot deck (circa 1890)
File:RWS Tarot 21 World.jpg|The World card from the [[Rider-Waite tarot deck]] (1909)
File:Muhammad ibn Muhammad Shakir Ruzmah-'i Nathani - The First Two of the Four Carriers of the Firmament (Animal and Angelic) - Walters W65943A - Full Page.jpg|This folio from Walters manuscript W.659 depicts the first 2 of the 4 carriers of the firmament (ox and man).
File:Muhammad ibn Muhammad Shakir Ruzmah-'i Nathani - The Second Two Carriers of the Firmament (Lion and Vulture) - Walters W65943B - Full Page.jpg|This folio from Walters manuscript W.659 depicts the second 2 carriers of the firmament (lion and vulture).
File:Wonders of creation manuscript angel image.png|Illustration of angel with lion, ox, and eagle from ''[[ʿAjā'ib al-makhlūqāt wa gharā'ib al-mawjūdāt]]'' circa 1650
</gallery>

== See also ==

* [[Animal representation in Western medieval art]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category inline|Tetramorph}}

[[Category:Christian symbols]]
[[Category:Christian iconography]]
[[Category:Book of Ezekiel]]
[[Category:Mythological creatures]]
[[Category:Animals in Christianity]]