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Aquamanile in the Form of a Ram

ca. 1250–1350
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 10
Scarborough, on England’s northeast coast, is still celebrated in song today for the annual fair it once hosted for merchants. The event was inaugurated by royal charter in 1253, around the time that one of the potteries created this jug in the form of a ram. Water would be added through the spout at the handle and poured out through the animal’s mouth. Like the examples in copper alloy in this gallery, the ram was used for handwashing.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Aquamanile in the Form of a Ram
  • Date: ca. 1250–1350
  • Geography: Made in Scarborough, England
  • Culture: British
  • Medium: Earthenware, green glaze
  • Dimensions: 9 7/16 × 11 1/2 × 5 1/4 in. (23.9 × 29.2 × 13.3 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics
  • Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 2007
  • Object Number: 2007.142
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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Aquamanile in the Form of a Dragon
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Aquamanile in the Form of a Mounted Knight, Copper alloy, German
Aquamanile in the Form of a Mounted Knight
German
ca. 1250
Jug, Partially glazed earthenware, French
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late 1200s–early 1300s
Bust of the Virgin, Terracotta with paint, Bohemian
Bust of the Virgin
Bohemian
ca. 1390–95
Jug with Horseshoes, Glazed earthenware, British
Jug with Horseshoes
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