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Source Description
A gemellion (from the Latin geminus, meaning "twin") is one of a pair of basins used for hand washing, either at home or during the mass. Water was poured from the spouted bowl and was caught in the second bowl placed below. Many gemellions made in the enamel manufacturing center of Limoges, France, were decorated with secular-themed designs of birds, beasts, or courtly scenes. This example shows a man playing a vielle for a woman in the central medallion. The champlevé enamel decoration appears only on the rim of the bowl and at the center, unlike other gemellions from Limoges that display enamel over their entire interior surface. This feature and others have led some to suggest that this piece was made outside Limoges, or else that it is a later forgery.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
22091
label
Gemellion (liturgical plate) with a Man Playing a Vielle for a Woman
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
22091
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Gemellion (liturgical plate) with a Man Playing a Vielle for a Woman
description
A gemellion (from the Latin geminus, meaning "twin") is one of a pair of basins used for hand washing, either at home or during the mass. Water was poured from the spouted bowl and was caught in the second bowl placed below. Many gemellions made in the enamel manufacturing center of Limoges, France, were decorated with secular-themed designs of birds, beasts, or courtly scenes. This example shows a man playing a vielle for a woman in the central medallion. The champlevé enamel decoration appears only on the rim of the bowl and at the center, unlike other gemellions from Limoges that display enamel over their entire interior surface. This feature and others have led some to suggest that this piece was made outside Limoges, or else that it is a later forgery.
date
13th century (Gothic)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
gemellion
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm)
Source extras
med
Champlevé enamel on copper
creator_ids
6229
collection_ids
none
exhibition_ids
none
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
7f581e5133c8df73