aquamaniles-msg - 4/1/10

Period horizontal jugs used to hold water for washing hands made of clay or metal.

NOTE: See also the files: pottery-msg, p-tableware-msg, feastgear-msg, casting-msg, bestiaries-msg, Zoomorphics-art, Handwashing-art.

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This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

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Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 08:18:29 EST
From: freyja1 at juno.com (Timothy a Whitcomb)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: aquamaniles?

On Tue, 5 Jan 1999 22:47:50 EST <SWRDBABE at aol.com> writes:
>What is an aquamanile, my kitten deleted the message before I could
>read the first one.  (and no I'm not kidding he's a little landsknecht)

Ack!!!
LOL!

Basically, the aquamanile is (generally) a horizontal jug used to wash
hands. They often were in the shape of animals or humans, and where made
of metal or clay.

For those in the Barony of Cleftlands (MidRealm) there is a very nice
German one in the Art Museum. It is bronze and is in the form of a
riderless horse...the date escapes me.

Hroar


Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 18:07:59 -0500
From: capriest at cs.vassar.edu (Carolyn Priest-Dorman)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: aquamaniles?

Stefan wrote:
>I think I saw several of these at the Philadelpia Museum of Art or the
>NYC Met over my holiday vacation. Are these pitchers or holders of
>liquid things for the table?

My understanding is that they were for handwashing, not table service; at
least, that's what the etymology of the name would suggest.

Carolyn Priest-Dorman                 Thora Sharptooth
capriest at cs.vassar.edu                Frostahlid, Austrriki


Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 13:42:49 EST
From: freyja1 at juno.com (Timothy a Whitcomb)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: aquamaniles?

>Stefan wrote:

SNIPPED
>> Are these pitchers or holders of liquid things for the table?
>
>My understanding is that they were for handwashing, not table service;
>at least, that's what the etymology of the name would suggest.

[Aquamaniles were originally liturgical utensils for handwashing during
services...later they got used at table for hand washing.]

>Carolyn Priest-Dorman                 Thora Sharptooth

Hroar


Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 13:42:49 EST
From: freyja1 at juno.com (Timothy a Whitcomb)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: aquamaniles?

>I think I saw several of these at the Philadelpia Museum of Art or the
>NYC Met over my holiday vacation. Are these pitchers or holders of
>liquid things for the table?

[Not originally, but they evidently evolved that way..]

> Made in the shape of various animals?

[Horses, deer, cattle, humans, knights on horse back, sheep, lions,
chickens and on and on...basically a horizontal jug in a fanciful shape.
Many of them are bronze, but there are a goodly number of clay ones, too.
And this is not surprising; potters and metal workers have "stolen" from
each other through out time,with some really striking results!]

>Some
>of which pour out of the mouth and some of which had little spouts and
>valves in them?

[Yep...that's them. 8-) Weird critters, at times. I prefer the ones that
pour out of their mouths; it can be so disconcerrting. Sorta like those
cowhead cream dispensers that used to be seen in restaurants..]

>Most had handles composed of the tail or a smaller
>creature arched across the back of the bigger one
>
>I've never seen these mentioned before, even on the SCA-Cooks list.

[Well, it is not strictly a kitchen vessel; in fact it would be more in
use in Church ritual, or at feast...]

SNIPPED

>When and where were they used? Were simpler ones made? The only ones
>I saw in the museums were fancy brass castings but that just may be
>want got saved or displayed by the museums.

[I would suggest these following books:
"Acqamanilli; Oggetti Medievali Per Uso Sacro e Profano"
Franco maria Ricci
ISBN 88-216-0331-8
This is about the bronze one; all color and all in Italian; a wonderful book!
The folowing books have pictures and drawings of clay aquamaniles in them:
"Medieval Pottery in BritainAD900-1600"
McCarthy and Brooks

"Medieval English Pottery"
Bernard Rackham

>  Stefan

Hroar


Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 00:10:21 -0600
From: froggestow at juno.com (Roberta R Comstock)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: aquamaniles?

On Mon, 04 Jan 1999 15:53:58 -0600 Stefan li Rous <stefan at texas.net>
writes:
>.... pitchers or holders of liquid things for the table? Made in the
>shape of various animals?
>Some of which pour out of the mouth and some of which had little spouts
>and valves in them? 
>Most had handles composed of the tail or a smaller creature arched across the >back of the bigger one. ......

Yes!  I love them!  There were some on display at The Cloisters when I
was there.  I'm not sure where I got the idea (Maybe from the name?), But
I've always thought of them as pitchers for pouring hand-washing water
over the hands of dinner guests (while someone else holds a catch basin
underneath).  The Metropolitan has several publications containing good
photos of aquamanies.  I think I've also seen them in 'beastiaries'
illustrated by pictures of period objects in the shape of beasts.

I think it would be difficult to clean the insides if you put anything
other than water into them.

If/when I have an opportunity to take another pottery class, I want to
hand build an aquamanile.

Hertha


Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 14:34:36 EST
From: freyja1 at juno.com (Timothy a Whitcomb)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: aquamaniles?

SNIPPED

>I think it would be difficult to clean the insides if you put anything
>other than water into them.

[It is..I usually advise swirling very hot water in them if they are used
for things like milk or other rich environments...but still, that is not
the best.]

>If/when I have an opportunity to take another pottery class, I want to
>hand build an aquamanile.
>
>Hertha

Go for it!!! I will be eager to see your results! I always love to see
the work of fellow potters and talk "bizness" for long, pleasant, times!

I usually have aquamaniles at my booth at Pennsic, if anyone wants to
look me up..

Hroar


Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 19:58:23 -0500
From: Karen at stierbach.atlantia.sca.org (Larsdatter, Karen )
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Aquaniles

You can find some pictures of aquaniles at:

Medieval Metalwork and Enamel Collection, National Gallery of Art
http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/medieval/medieval-main1.html


Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 22:09:04 EST
From: freyja1 at juno.com (Timothy a Whitcomb)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: aquamaniles?

>Were these used in the 12th c. in England?

[AS to clay ones, I am (tentatively) not finding any before 13th century
England..but this is after a very cursory look-through.]

>And, whereabouts in Pennsic are you usually located?

[For the past 6 years I have been in Bazaar #2, across from the bathhouse
and the camp store...And I am hoping to be there this year too. 8-)]

[snip]

>Elwynne

Hroar


Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1999 17:56:41 -0000
From: "Greg & Kris Olsen" <golsen at inconnect.com>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: aquamaniles?

We have a lovely one in Artemesia that we use for some of our peerage
ceremonies, it happens to be a Griffin and we also have a bowl to catch the
water in.

Washing hands, washing heads, whatever the use they are the coolest things!

Lady Heloise de Bec
Keeper of the Regalia of Artemesia


Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 16:26:53 -0500
From: "Helen Schultz" <meistern at netusa1.net>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: Aquamanilia - info sought

I forwarded the original request to Meistari Hroar (who is a potter
extraordinaire; he made me a lovely unicorn aquamanile) and this is what he
had to say:

[Looks like they are on the right track..and I don't think I can offer any
help.

As to nuts and bolts, they need books on how to do lost wax, and probably
need to look at pictures of examples of the original aquamaniles....  I
suggest "Acqamanilli; Oggetti Medievali Per Uso Sacro e Profano" Franco
Maria Ricci ISBN 88-216-81982...

Nothing is gonna tell them in precise terms how to make a specific
aquamanile...it doesn't work that way! :-)  As you well know...They can
learn how to do lost wax, and they can observe the shapes of the originals,
but they have to figure it out themselves as to the precise how-to...]

KHvS


Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2000 22:45:09 -0500
From: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>
To: - Potters <Potters at onelist.com>
Subject: Toss you another bone :)

> > Hroar, would you please find that book you were talking about on 
> > Aquamanitles? 
> 
> [The book is:
> "Acqamanili:Oggetti Medievali Per Uso Sacro e Profano" by
> Franco Maria Ricci
> ISBN 88-216-0331-81982
> 
> This book is in Italian, and it is about Medieval bronze aquamaniles of
> European make...but it sure is inspirational..! ]

This book was available again from Hacker Art Books in NYC just
recently.
Hacker Art Books <hackerartbooks at infohouse.com>

Magnus


Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002 14:39:08 -0600 (CST)
From: "Pixel, Goddess and Queen" <pixel at hundred-acre-wood.com>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] handwashing at feasts

On Tue, 29 Jan 2002, Mercy Neumark wrote:
> There is a pitcher-like vessel called an aquamanile (I've also seen it
> spelled as Aquamantle) which is normally either bronze or ceramic, that is
> sculpted into an animal or I've seen as my pottery Laurel Master Hroar
> Stormgengr has made, Knights on horseback.  These are primarily used in
> handwashing and I have a few period pictures of bronze ones, if you all are
> interested in looking at them.  I plan on making one this year sometime, on
> top of all the other projects.  Heh.  Well, at least I'm busy.

Ah, yes. There's a (I *think*) 14th century brass one which is supposed to
be Xanthippe sitting on the back of Socrates, in the book _The Medieval
Art of Love. Amongst my books I have pictures of a griffon, a lion,
several knights on horseback, the aforementioned Socrates/Xanthippe, and a
rooster, one or two of which I think are actually pottery.

A couple of years ago I commissioned the aforementioned pottery Laurel to
make one for the gentleman who is my love and inspiration. It's a
hedgehog, in a 13th century style. There are pictures, somewhere. If he
ever finds them again I'm supposed to send some to Hroar. It's a very cute
hedgehog.

Margaret

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Edited by Mark S. Harris	aquamaniles-msg	Page 6 of 6