Cleveland Museum of Art

Lavabo

Date

1400s

Medium

brass

Culture

South Netherlands, Valley of the Meuse, 15th century

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

In the Middle Ages a variety of vessels were used for hand washing. This brass container, called a lavabo, was designed to hold a large quantity of water and may have functioned in either a domestic or a liturgical setting. Its large capacity and relatively simple decoration suggests it served a communal function, either in a private home or perhaps in a monastery where it would have served as a hand-washing station near the refectory. In private homes, lavabos of similar design were usually hung from a chain or a trammel hook over or near the fire in the kitchen. The ring inserted at the top of the handle would have allowed for the rotation of the vessel while it was suspended, facilitating access to the spouts for water. Seen in conjunction with other vessels displayed nearby, this object illustrates the variety of hand-washing vessels used by medieval men and women. On either side of the handle appear two human faces while the spouts themselves are animals, perhaps lions or dogs.

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