GERMAN, CIRCA 1200

This aquamanile, excavated near Magdeburg, is perhaps the earliest of the pieces in the present collection. It relates extremely closely to at least two examples, one in the Diocesan Museum in Trier (Falke and Meyer, op. cit., fig. 498) and one in the Stadtmuseum, Hildesheim (Brandt, loc. cit.). The latter, also excavated in the late 19th century, was found with its shallow circular dish, which is a rare survival. Identified by its backward curving horns, the present ram differs from the Hildesheim example only in its longer neck and more upright stance, a slight difference in the position of the handle, and the fact that the present aquamanile includes delicate engraved decoration.

For more general information on aquamaniles, please see the introduction to this section.

Please note that the present lot comes with a Metallography and Analysis report prepared on 2 October 1991 by Dr. Peter Northover.