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Dömös was the favourite residence of Prince Álmos, brother of Coloman Beauclerc. There, around 1105-1108, he established a provostry. A number of small capitals unearthed during excavation of the crypt of the church are now in the Gallery. Béla II, son of Álmos, completed the foundation and defined its rights in a document dated 1138. It is thought that this huge capital - one of the finest examples with figural decoration from the twelfth century - originates from the church rebuilt at that time. The carving depicts animals fighting each other, a subject generally interpreted as symbolizing the struggle between good and evil.
The diagonal corners show the joint head of a lion and bear respectively, each animal holding a paw on a human head; an eagle is seen holding a captured rabbit. The mounted figure behind the lion evokes the atmosphere of a hunting scene and certain details, for instance the horse-trappings, point to a demand for realistic representation. A striking feature of the carving is the roundish modelling of the animals, not previously seen in Hungarian sculpture. It suggests the influence of Lombard art, which can be seen also on capitals of the Cathedral in Esztergom, rebuilt in the second half of the twelfth century.
The fragment is dated to the period of establishing the monastery, however, it can be also assumed that it was executed only in the time of King Béla II (1131-41).
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