An aquamanile was a jug used both in the home and at church for washing hands ('aqua' means water in Latin and 'manus' hand). These jugs were made from precious metals, base metals or ceramic.
From the 12th century onwards aquamaniles depicting lions, horses, dragons and other beasts were very popular. This example represents a griffin, a fantastical creature with the head and claws of a lion and the wings of an eagle. In medieval times griffins were considered to be noble creatures, who acted as guardians and protectors.
Physical description
A Griffin Ewer, gilt bronze, cast and chased, decorated with silver and niello. In the form of a Griffin, resting upon two feet with an extra decorative support underneath his tail. The beast faces forward with wings folded. A design resembling a heraldic shield adorns each wing. The ewer would have been filled through the hole in the creature's tail (the lid is now missing) and poured through the mouth of the beast.
The griffin is a fantastical creature that combines the head and claws of a lion with the wings of an eagle. The western form of the griffin was influenced by the eastern senmurvs, images of which were woven into ancient Sassanian and Byzantine sillks imported into Europe.
In antiquity the griffin held a positive image as a protector and guardian. This continued into the Middle Ages particularly in Romanesque art, where sculptural forms of the griffin act as guardians on the facades of churches and cathedrals. The image of the griffin appeared less frequently in Gothic art.
Place of Origin
Germany; Mosan
Date
ca. 1120 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown
Materials and Techniques
Bronze, gilt, cast and chased; silver, niello
Dimensions
Height: 18.7 cm
Length: 12.5 cm
Depth: 20.5 cm
Weight: 2.36 kg
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Object history note
Middle Ages Exhibition R.F.2002/903
Canossa Exhibition RF.2005/481
Purchase
Historical context note
Ewers, often known as aquamanilia (from the Latin, aqua= water, manus=hand), are vessel used for washing hands. They were used in the church, during the mass, or in a domestic context, before and after meals. From the 12th century onwards ewers depicting creatures such as lions, horses, unicorns, dragons and birds were very popular. They were made in precious metals, base metals and ceramics.
Descriptive line
Griffin aquamanile, cast copper inlaid with sheet silver and niello
Attribution Note
Made in Germany, or Mosan (the land of the Meuse River valley)
Materials
Silver; Gold; Bronze; Niello
Techniques
Gilding; Casting; Chasing
Subjects depicted
Griffins
Categories
Metalwork; Myths & Legends
Collection code
MET
