Lion aquamanile
Type:
Sculptures
Date:
Late thirteenth–early fourteenth century
Medium:
Brass
Dimensions:
23.2 × 27 × 12.9 cm
Description:
An aquamanile was used for pouring water for handwashing before or after a meal. Originally used by Christian clergy, the vessel was adopted by monks and laypeople across medieval Europe. Many of them are shaped like real or mythological animals, and about one-third of the extant examples are lions. This one is noteworthy because it is inscribed in Hebrew on the creature's left side. The text is the blessing made by pious Jews after washing their hands and before eating: "Blessed are you, Lord our God, king of the universe, who has made us holy through his commandments and has commanded us regarding washing hands." A worn line of Hebrew on the lion's right side is now illegible.
There are four extant Hebrew-inscribed aquamanilia (the plural form), all in the form of a lion. The powerful king of beasts was associated with the biblical tribes of Judah and Dan and with Judah's descendant, King David. The inscription here may postdate the casting of the aquamanile; it may have been added by a later owner, as was the case in some other examples (a twelfth-century lion in the Jewish Museum, New York, has a sixteenth-century Hebrew inscription). Nevertheless, it shows how well-to-do Jews in medieval Europe possessed the same kinds of tableware as their Christian neighbors, just as they decorated their homes in much the same way. It is likely that hollow animal-shaped vessels crafted in the Islamicate world inspired European craftsmen and consumers.
There are four extant Hebrew-inscribed aquamanilia (the plural form), all in the form of a lion. The powerful king of beasts was associated with the biblical tribes of Judah and Dan and with Judah's descendant, King David. The inscription here may postdate the casting of the aquamanile; it may have been added by a later owner, as was the case in some other examples (a twelfth-century lion in the Jewish Museum, New York, has a sixteenth-century Hebrew inscription). Nevertheless, it shows how well-to-do Jews in medieval Europe possessed the same kinds of tableware as their Christian neighbors, just as they decorated their homes in much the same way. It is likely that hollow animal-shaped vessels crafted in the Islamicate world inspired European craftsmen and consumers.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
9
Repository and Online Resources:
• This aquamanile is in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, acc. no. 53.25.
• See the Hebrew-inscribed lion aquamanile in the Jewish Museum here.
Image Credits:
Walters Art Museum; Acquired by Henry Walters, 1927
Tags:
Jewish,
Northern European,
Western European,
Animals,
Domestic,
Food and drink,
Hebrew ,
Metalwork
