Germany, Lower Saxony, Hildesheim, Gothic period, first half 13th century / 1200–1250
Lion Aquamanile
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Lion Aquamanile as sculpture (Germany, Lower Saxony, Hildesheim, Gothic period, first half 13th century · 1200–1250).
The handle of this vessel is in the shape of a dragon with a long curving tail.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as bronze: cast, chased, and punched.
The museum's collection notes: An aquamanile is a water vessel used for washing hands both at church altars and at the dinner tables of upper-class patrons. They often took the form of fantastic beasts such as dragons and unicorns or animals such as horses, birds, dogs, and lions, like this one.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtLion AquamanileOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.