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Ewer

Ewer

  • Place of origin:

    Toledo (possibly, made)
    Cuenca (possibly, made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1530 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Silver

  • Credit Line:

    Dr W.L. Hildburgh Bequest

  • Museum number:

    M.471-1956

  • Gallery location:

    Medieval and Renaissance, room 62, case 15

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This Spanish ewer is the epitome of Mannerist design, an exuberant, fantastical style fashionable across Europe in the late 16th century. The embossed and cast ornament is exceptionally inventive. The bands around the foot and the body are composed of masks and medallions between grotesque harpies (female monsters) and heads emerging from scrolls. The handle and spout combine different elements to create an apparently chaotic design. The multi-headed beast of the handle seems to vomit into the ewer while the spout is formed as a fierce monster's head surmounted by a small naked putto (small boy) urinating over his head.

Physical description

Beaker-shaped body with flanged lip engraved with foliage, the body with embossed band with monsters and roundels enclosing heads, curved spout and a handle of human and animal grotesque, stepped base chased with masks.

Place of Origin

Toledo (possibly, made)
Cuenca (possibly, made)

Date

ca. 1530 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown

Materials and Techniques

Silver

Marks and inscriptions

"Engraved W (later) on lower body at front"
"Unmarked"

Dimensions

Diameter: 11.30 cm (foot)
Height: 26.05 cm
Width: 21.20 cm

Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries

Object history note

Acquisition RF: 55/4478A
Dr WL Hildburgh FSA Bequest

Descriptive line

Ewer with beaker-shaped body embossed with monsters and roundels enclosing heads, Toledo or Cuenca, ca. 1530

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

The Golden Age of Hispanic Silver 1400-1665, Charles Oman, Pg.70, pl.89, HMSO, 1968

Labels and date

Silver Gallery:
This ewer is an epitome of mannerist design. The embossed and cast ornament is exceptionally inventive. The bands around the foot and the body are composed of masks and medallions between grotesque harpies (monsters) and heads emerging from scrolls. The handle and spout combine different elements to create an apparently chaotic yet in fact cohesive programme: the multi-headed beast of the handle seems to vomit into the ewer while the spout is formed as a fierce monster's head surmounted by a small naked putto urinating over his head.

Attribution Note

Toledo or Cuenca, Castilla La Mancha

Categories

Food vessels & Tableware; Metalwork

Collection code

MET

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Qr_O92055
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