Turret Laver

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Although this object is frequently called an aquamanile, it does not satisfy the definition: true aquamanilia are handheld and generally provided with a handle for that purpose. This vessel was designed to stand on a shelf with a basin below. The small heads surrounding the tower mimic the gargoyles of monumental architecture, which were designed to manage rainwater.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art