In the Roman Catholic church the congregation is blessed using water contained in a special bucket and a sprinkler, known as an asperge from the Latin ‘aspergere’, to sprinkle.
Ritual cleansing and anointing play a crucial part in Christian worship, as they do in other religions. Water, salt, incense and oils are used in ceremonies such as baptism and confirmation, and in the blessing of individuals and of sacred objects like altars and bells.
The engraved shield on this bucket bears a variant of the arms of Bocanegra impaling another.
Physical description
Hexagonal body with spreading lip and stepped moulded base. Round lip and base are bands of ornament cast from a repeating stamp. Round middle is a band of cable ornament. Angular handle with snake-head finials.
Sprinkler: tubular with three moulded bands and knot.
Place of Origin
Seville, Spain (made)
Date
ca. 1510-ca. 1515 (made)
Artist/maker
Espinosa (possibly, maker)
Materials and Techniques
Silver
Marks and inscriptions
Seville mark: Tower above SEVILL
And mark of Espinosa (maker?) and Nicholas (assayer?)
Dimensions
[Holy water bucket] Height: 133 mm without handle, Height: 190 mm with handle fully upright, Width: 174 mm
[Sprinkler] Height: 230 mm, Width: 20 mm, Depth: 20 mm
Object history note
JH Fitzhenry Esq.
On front engraved is a shield with a variant of the arms of Bocanegra (per saltire, plain and in flank two crosses) impaling another (a lion rampant and in chief a demi-tree -trunk eradicated).
The sprinkler would be used to cast holy water on the congregation during the service.
Neg no.: 38547
Historical context note
Medieval Worship
Until the 16th century Roman Catholicism was the universal faith of the Western world and Latin was its universal language. The needs of church ritual inspired the production of a range of richly decorated vessels and vestments, crosses and images in the form of altarpieces. Many were made of gold or silver, adorned with enamels or gems, precious materials seen as symbolic of the reverence due to the worship of God. Less wealthy churches used cheaper vessels in copper, brass or pewter.
The celebration of Mass was and remains the most important service of the Roman Catholic liturgy. For this the minimum requirements are an altar, a chalice and missal, the book of texts necessary for the Mass. Holy Communion or Eucharist is that part of the Mass in which the people participate in the sacrifice of Christ, by partaking of his body and blood in the consecrated bread and wine, held in the chalice and paten.
Descriptive line
Holy-Water bucket and sprinkler, possibly by Espinosa, made in Seville, ca. 1510-1515.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Oman, Charles. The Golden Age of Hispanic Silver 1400-1665. HMSO, 1968.
Exhibition History
Medieval Worship (Sacred Silver and Stained Glass Galleries, the Victoria and Albert Museum 22/11/2005-22/11/2005)
Labels and date
Bucket and Sprinkler for Holy Water
In the Roman Catholic church the congregation is blessed using water contained in a special bucket and a sprinkler, known as an asperge from the Latin 'aspergere', to sprinkle.
Ritual cleansing and anointing play a crucial part in Christian worship, as they do in other religions. Water, salt, incense and oils are used in ceremonies such as baptism and confirmation, and in the blessing of individuals and of sacred objects like altars and bells.
The engraved shield on this bucket bears a variant of the arms of Bocanegra impaling another.
Seville, Spain, about 1510-15;
maker's mark illegible
Silver
Museum nos. M.71&A-1914 [27/10/2005]
HOLY-WATER BUCKET
Silver, engraved with the arms of Boccanegra impaling another.
Marks, SNI and SPS
Spanish (Seville mark); about 1520
Production Note
Maker unidentified (possibly Espinosa?)
Categories
Metalwork; Religion
Collection code
MET
