Description
Bronze aquamanile in the shape of a lion, pouring spout in the mouth, Northern Germany - Lower Saxony, Nuremberg or Lübeck, 19th century. H. 17 x 20 x 8 cm Weight 1212 g Note: The first aquamaniles arrived in Europe through Arab Spain, Sicily or Fatimid Egypt. The Germanic emperors who had contacts with the Mediterranean world through Italy and the crusades were particularly seduced by these ewers in the shape of mythical animals in resonance with the medieval bestiary. Northern Germany, especially Lower Saxony, was one of the first regions to master the lost-wax casting of three-dimensional objects. Aquamaniles were thus made in this duchy as early as the 12th century; inspired by Muslim models, they often took the form of a lion, an animal that finds its place in both religious and secular symbolism. In the church, they were used for the ablutions of the priests during the mass; at the table of the lord, they allowed to pour water during the banquets on the hands of the guests.
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Bronze aquamanile in the shape of a lion, pouring spout in the mouth, Northern Germany - Lower Saxony, Nuremberg or Lübeck, 19th century. H. 17 x 20 x 8 cm Weight 1212 g Note: The first aquamaniles arrived in Europe through Arab Spain, Sicily or Fatimid Egypt. The Germanic emperors who had contacts with the Mediterranean world through Italy and the crusades were particularly seduced by these ewers in the shape of mythical animals in resonance with the medieval bestiary. Northern Germany, especially Lower Saxony, was one of the first regions to master the lost-wax casting of three-dimensional objects. Aquamaniles were thus made in this duchy as early as the 12th century; inspired by Muslim models, they often took the form of a lion, an animal that finds its place in both religious and secular symbolism. In the church, they were used for the ablutions of the priests during the mass; at the table of the lord, they allowed to pour water during the banquets on the hands of the guests.
