The Met: The Aquamaniles

Well-traveled as we are in Europe, we had never heard of aquamaniles, or if we had, it did not quite register. Perhaps understandably. In any case, an aquamanile (water + hand) was a Medieval table piece, used chiefly to pass around and wash one's hands. Mostly in German lands. Mostly the nobility. The Met has a number of these items, both at Fifth Ave and at the Cloisters. We were impressed, and I count the discovery of aquamaniles to be among my most important take-aways from the great museum.