These ewers long have been thought to be the pair mentioned in the 1526 and 1585 inventories of the Order of the Teutonic Knights, which were emblazoned with the arms of Hartmann von Stockheim, the German grand master of the order between 1499 and 1510 or 1513. Both works shown here are unmarked, and the attribution to Nuremberg is based on stylistic comparisons. For instance, the small cast figures against the buttresses are similar to examples by the Nuremberg goldsmith Sebastian Lindenast the Elder. The enameled and painted wild men are heraldic supporters but also can be understood as symbols of virility and procreation.
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Artwork Details
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Title:Ewer with Wild Man Finial
Date:ca. 1500
Geography:Made in probably Nuremberg, Franconia, Germany
Culture:German
Medium:Silver gilt, enamel, and paint
Dimensions:25 × 8 1/4 in., 7.1 lb. (63.5 × 21 cm, 3.2 kg)
Classification:Metalwork-Silver
Credit Line:The Cloisters Collection, 1953
Accession Number:53.20.2
The Teutonic Knights, Vienna (sold 1937) ; [ Saemy Rosenberg, Amsterdam (in 1937)] ; Baroness Catalina von Pannwitz, Amsterdam ; [ Rosenberg & Stiebel, New York (sold 1953)]
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New York. The Cloisters Museum & Gardens, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Wild Man: Medieval Myth and Symbolism," October 9, 1980–January 11, 1981.
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Nuremberg. Germanisches Nationalmuseum. "Nürnberg 1300–1550: Kunst der Gotik und Renaissance," July 24–September 28, 1986.
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Stein, Wendy A. How to Read Medieval Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016. no. 36, pp. 16, 124–25.
Lautenbach Master (German, active late 15th century)
ca. 1480
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