Lion Aquamanile

ca. 1425-1450

On View

European: Medieval, Level 2, Central Wing

Lion Aquamanile: 1 of Collection Gallery

Lion Aquamanile: 2 of Collection Gallery

Lion Aquamanile: 3 of Collection Gallery

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About the Artwork

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Provenance

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Exhibition History

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Published References

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Catalogue Raisonné

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Credit Line for Reproduction

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About the Artwork

This lively Lion Aquamanile standas as a superb example of medieval ewers which were used in banquets, inns, and private homes for handwashing after meals. The Latin origins of the term aquamanile derive from this description of its function: aqua and manus, water and hand. From the twelfth through the sixteenth centuries, Nuremberg, in present-day Germany, served as a hub for producing these vessels thanks to the abundance of raw materials near workshops and the high quality of craftsmanship there.

This work belongs to a small group of these elegant jugs known as "Flame-Tail Aquamanilia," a name that refers to the long, finely chased tails with flame-like tufts which doubled as handles.

Title Lion Aquamanile

Artwork Date ca. 1425-1450

Artist ----------

Life Dates ----------

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. German

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. German

Medium Copper alloy

Dimensions Overall: 11 1/2 × 9 inches (29.2 × 22.9 cm)

Classification Metalwork

Department European Sculpture and Dec Arts

Credit Museum Purchase, Robert H. Tannahill Foundation Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Brodie provided funds for the Spigot

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 2008.1

Markings

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Provenance

Blumka Gallery (dealer), New York

For more information on provenance, please visit:

Provenance page

Exhibition History

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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.

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Published References

Bulletin of the DIA 89, no. 1/4: Notable Acquisitions, 2000–2015 (2015): p. 50 (ill.).

Darr, Alan P. "Museum Accessions." Antiques Magazine (Jan/Feb 2010): p. 46 (ill.).

Darr, Alan Phipps, Yao-Fen You, and Megan Reddicks. “Recent Acquisitions (2007–15) of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the Detroit Institute of Arts.” The Burlington Magazine 158 (June 2016): pp. 501–512, p. 501 (ill.).

Rosenberg, Karen. "Sacred Works in Secular Places." New York Times (October 19, 2007): unpaginated (ill.). [https://mobile.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/arts/design/19blum.html; Accessed February 9, 2017]

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Catalogue Raisoneé

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Credit Line for Reproduction

German, Lion Aquamanile, ca. 1425-1450, copper alloy. Detroit Institute of Arts, Museum Purchase, Robert H. Tannahill Foundation Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Brodie provided funds for the Spigot, 2008.1.