Samson and Lion Aquamanile (BOSMFA 40.233)
Aquamanilia were vessels typically used for hand washing (like the Gemellion), either for liturgical purposes or in the homes of the wealthy. This aquamanile depicts the biblical story of Samson’s battle with a lion, in which the young hero attacked a lion with only his bare hands (Judges 14: 5-6; see also the Samson Chertsey tile and the “Hero and Lion" Silk). Samson’s battle with the lion was understood by some medieval viewers as a prototype for Christ’s Harrowing of Hell. This combat, also included on one of the Chertsey roundels, also denoted great physical strength and prowess. For this reason, Samson is also often connected to other mythologized lion-hunters, both classical (like Hercules) and Biblical (like David.)
What makes this particular depiction of Samson unique is the mantle he is wearing. The circular pattern on this may represent a Byzantine or Islamic textile, not only noteworthy in its origin (from the eastern Mediterranean), but also in its quality, implying Samson as an unusually well-dressed combatant. With the commercial trade that arose during and after the Crusades, there was a growing desire in western Europe for imported luxury goods.
Bibliography
Barnet, Peter. “Beasts of Every Land and Clime,” in Lions Dragons & Other Beasts: Aquamanilia of the Middle Ages, Vessels for Church and Table, ed. Peter Barnet and Pete Dandridge, Yale University Press 2006, 2-17.
Swarzenski, Georg. “Samson Killing the Lion a Mediaeval Bronze Group.” Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts 38, no. 229, October 1, 1940.
