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Lot Essay
The aquamanile was an important status symbol in mediaeval Europe and was used in both secular and religious contexts. A ceremonial vessel, it was used to pour water over the hands of guests or celebrants into an accompanying basin. The term itself comes from the latin words aqua and manus signifying 'water' and 'hand'. It is thought that most aquamaniles were probably made of pottery, but few of these have survived due to the fragility of the material.
Bronze aquamaniles take a variety of forms including human heads, dragons, birds and horses. However by far the most popular was the lion, symbol of strength and royal authority. Most of the German lion aquamaniles take as their prototype the celebrated Brunswick Lion, originally erected in front of Dankwarderode Castle and the cathedral of Brunswick by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, in around 1166 AD. This monumental bronze, standing almost three metres in length, has a luxuriant mane, deep chest and stylised overall form which heavily influenced examples such as the present lot.
In their exhaustive book on the subject of romanesque vessels and candlesticks, Falke and Meyer (op. cit.) illustrate a number of lion aquamaniles that are closely related to the lot offered here. In particular, the example listed as being in a church in Berghausen (no. 408, fig. 384) shows the same relatively short thick neck, stylised ruff around the head and engraved mane as the present lot. It is described simply as 'North German, 13th century'. The present lot differs in that it is more extensively engraved, the hind legs are less extended to the rear, and the tail curls back up onto the handle, however these characteristics can be found on other aquamaniles of a similar date. The present lot is unusual for having retained a rich brown patina and is notable for the harmony of the proportions.
Bronze aquamaniles take a variety of forms including human heads, dragons, birds and horses. However by far the most popular was the lion, symbol of strength and royal authority. Most of the German lion aquamaniles take as their prototype the celebrated Brunswick Lion, originally erected in front of Dankwarderode Castle and the cathedral of Brunswick by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, in around 1166 AD. This monumental bronze, standing almost three metres in length, has a luxuriant mane, deep chest and stylised overall form which heavily influenced examples such as the present lot.
In their exhaustive book on the subject of romanesque vessels and candlesticks, Falke and Meyer (op. cit.) illustrate a number of lion aquamaniles that are closely related to the lot offered here. In particular, the example listed as being in a church in Berghausen (no. 408, fig. 384) shows the same relatively short thick neck, stylised ruff around the head and engraved mane as the present lot. It is described simply as 'North German, 13th century'. The present lot differs in that it is more extensively engraved, the hind legs are less extended to the rear, and the tail curls back up onto the handle, however these characteristics can be found on other aquamaniles of a similar date. The present lot is unusual for having retained a rich brown patina and is notable for the harmony of the proportions.