Release Date: April 29, 2013
The Jewish Museum Acquires Rare Late 12th-Century Bronze Lion Aquamanile
The Jewish Museum Acquires Extremely Rare, Late 12th-Century North German Bronze Lion Aquamanile from the Michael and Judy Steinhardt Judaica Collection Sale at Sotheby’s
New York, NY — The Jewish Museum in New York City has acquired an extremely rare, late 12th-century North German bronze lion aquamanile for its collection. The work was purchased from the Michael and Judy Steinhardt Judaica Collection sale at Sotheby’s today.
The piece features a 16th-century Hebrew inscription on the lion’s side. Aquamanilia are figural vessels typically containing water and used for washing hands — this particular example was adopted for Jewish religious ceremonial use, probably in a synagogue. It bears a dedicatory inscription from a young man, Berekhiah Segal (the Levite), which suggests that it was donated to a synagogue possibly for use by a Levite, who would wash the hands of a priestly descendent before he blessed the congregation.
“We are delighted to add this rare and fascinating work to The Jewish Museum’s collection. The piece is an engaging example of the lion aquamanile form, simple in its ornamentation but striking. There are currently only two other known aquamanilia from the medieval era bearing Hebrew inscriptions,” observed Susan L. Braunstein, Henry J. Leir Curator, The Jewish Museum.
About the Jewish Museum
Located on Museum Mile at Fifth Avenue and 92nd Street, the Jewish Museum is one of the world’s preeminent institutions devoted to exploring art and Jewish culture from ancient to contemporary, offering intellectually engaging, educational, and provocative exhibitions and programs for people of all ages and backgrounds. The Museum was established in 1904, when Judge Mayer Sulzberger donated 26 ceremonial objects to The Jewish Theological Seminary as the core of a museum collection. Today, the Museum maintains a collection of over 30,000 works of art, artifacts, and broadcast media reflecting global Jewish identity, and presents a diverse schedule of internationally acclaimed temporary exhibitions.
The Jewish Museum is located at 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street, New York City. Museum hours are Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, 11am to 5:45pm; Thursday, 11am to 8pm; and Friday, 11am to 4pm. Museum admission is $15.00 for adults, $12.00 for senior citizens, $7.50 for students, free for visitors 18 and under and Jewish Museum members. Admission is Pay What You Wish on Thursdays from 5pm to 8pm and free on Saturdays. For information on the Jewish Museum, the public may call 212.423.3200 or visit the website at www.thejewishmuseum.org.
Press contacts
Anne Scher or Alex Wittenberg, The Jewish Museum, 212.423.3271 or pressoffice@thejm.org