ticketsMember | Make a donation

Aquamanile in the Form of a Soldier on Horseback

early 15th century
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 10
This elaborate water vessel was intended for handwashing. A specialty of metalworkers in German-speaking lands for centuries—from the twelfth to the fifteenth—they are called aquamanilia, from the Latin words for water (aqua) and hand (manus).

A clue to the date of this figure is the rider’s helmet, a type without visor that came into fashion in northern Italy around 1410.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Aquamanile in the Form of a Soldier on Horseback
  • Date: early 15th century
  • Geography: Made in Nuremberg, Germany
  • Culture: German
  • Medium: Copper alloy
  • Dimensions: 10 9/16 × 9 15/16 × 3 3/4 in., 4.6 lb. (26.8 × 25.2 × 9.5 cm, 2086g)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Copper alloy
  • Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1947
  • Object Number: 47.101.54
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Aquamanile in the Form of a Lion, Copper alloy, German
Aquamanile in the Form of a Lion
German
ca. 1400
Aquamanile in the Form of a Unicorn, Copper alloy, German
Aquamanile in the Form of a Unicorn
German
ca. 1425–50
Ewer with Wildman Finial, Silver gilt, enamel, and paint, German
Ewer with Wildman Finial
German
late 15th century
The Virgin Mary and Five Standing Saints above Predella Panels, Pot-metal glass, white glass, vitreous paint, silver stain, German
The Virgin Mary and Five Standing Saints above Predella Panels
German
1440–46
Covered Beaker, Sebastian Lindenast the Elder German, Copper gilt, German
Covered Beaker
Sebastian Lindenast the Elder
ca. 1490–1500

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.