Aquamanile in the Form of a Lion

Aquamanile in the Form of a Lion

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The lion, because of its exceptional strength, was associated in the Middle Ages with Christ and was the animal most frequently employed for aquamanilia. The vessel was filled through the opening at the top of the head, and water was poured from the spout in the mouth.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Aquamanile in the Form of a LionAquamanile in the Form of a LionAquamanile in the Form of a LionAquamanile in the Form of a LionAquamanile in the Form of a Lion

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.