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Ewer - Griffin Ewer

Griffin Ewer

  • Object:

    Ewer

  • Place of origin:

    Germany (possibly, made)
    Mosan (possibly, made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1120 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Bronze, gilt, cast and chased; silver, niello

  • Museum number:

    1471-1870

  • Gallery location:

    In store

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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

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Qr_O81893
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