Faucet with Peacock Spigot and Lion-Headed Spout
Iranian
Description
March 28, 2009
Since antiquity, artists in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East had produced bronze vessels in the shape of animals to hold liquids or to serve as incense burners, oil lamps, and even fountains. Although the manufacture of such vessels lapsed in Western Europe during the early Middle Ages, this Syrian faucet eloquently testifies to the continuity of this tradition in Mediterranean lands under Islamic rule. Europeans encountered such Islamic vessels and fixtures through trade and the Crusades; these cross-cultural contacts initiated a revival in the production of animal-shaped bronze vessels in the West beginning in the twelfth century. The large scale of the faucet suggests that it originally served as part of a fountain, but this is still speculation. One of the most engaging types of these Islamic-inspired vessels was the aquamanile, an example of which is displayed in this case.
Subject Matter:
Since Antiquity artists in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East had produced bronze vessels in the shape of animals to hold liquids, or to serve as incense burners, oil lamps, and even fountains. Although the manufacture of such vessels lapsed in Western Europe during the early Middle Ages, this Syrian faucet decorated with animals eloquently testifies to the unbroken continuity of these traditions in lands around the Mediterranean under Islamic rule. The large scale of the faucet suggests that it might have originally served as part of a fountain.
Physical Description:
This large bronze faucet features a peacock spigot and a lion-headed spout.
Usage Rights:
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