Aquamaniles

Seen in a few illustrations of feasts and eating utensils are aquamaniles -- a sort of pitcher used for hand-washing. Typical forms are animals, mounted knights or horsemen, and fantasical monsters; most of the surviving examples seem to be metal, but there are several ceramic examples too. (More information can be found in the Florilegium; The Art of the Medieval Aquamanile is also interesting.)

Lions, Dragons, and Other Beasts: Aquamanilia of the Middle Ages, Vessels for Church and Table, an exhibit of the aquamaniles from the Met (several of which are also linked below), was on display at The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture a few years ago.

Following are a few examples of aquamaniles from museum collections and from medieval artwork.


Since I've had a few inquiries on where one can obtain aquamaniles ...