Small bronze casting with reddish patina depicting a lion sitting on its hind legs. The tail, with a knotted end, is bent and joined to the mane to form a practical handle. The mane, eyes and leg profiles of the quadruped show conspicuous traces of silver agemine. The object has close similarities with medieval Khorasan incense burners in the features of the face, the shape of the paws and the decoration of the paws and chest; while the position of the rear paws is more similar to Fatimid aquamaniles (cfr. Museum Islamic Art Cairo Acc. no. MIA 140709023). The absence of fretwork decoration and the handling tail make it a sort of miniature aquamanile, similar to those widespread in Medieval Europe. Dodd considers it very plausible that the iconographic origin of medieval European dynanderies is to be found in Islamic artefacts (E.C.Dodd, On the Origins of Medieval Dinanderie: The Equestrian Statue in Islam, The Art Bulletin , Sep., 1969, Vol. 51, No. 3 -Sep., 1969-, pp. 220-232).

Good condition consistent with age, some inlays missing.

6 x 6 cm