[Sca-cooks] handwashing at feasts

[Mercy Neumark]

>I have a picture, from a prose Tristan, early 14th c, Italia IIRC if >you
>are interested. it's the one I used  as my reasoning for the big >tub that
>looks like a kiddie pool- people were loned up in front of it >with a
>servant on one side of the big basin with a pitcher and anotehr >with a
>towel. on the other side of the picture was the high table with >their own
>troop of servants doing the washing thing.

I got into this conversation tail end, so I apologize if this is already
been said.

There is a pitcher-like vessel called an aquamanile (I've also seen it
spelled as Aquamantle) which is normally either bronze or ceramic, that is
sculpted into an animal or I've seen as my pottery Laurel Master Hroar
Stormgengr has made, Knights on horseback.  These are primarily used in
handwashing and I have a few period pictures of bronze ones, if you all are
interested in looking at them.  I plan on making one this year sometime, on
top of all the other projects.  Heh.  Well, at least I'm busy.

The Japanese also have similar vessels called Kenji, but I have found
nothing about them (i.e. the uses).  There is an Asian Museum up in Seattle
that I visited years ago, which had a few of them on display...but I can't
remember WHAT their main purpose was (whether it was for wine or possibly
other liquids).

And now back to your normally scheduled food chat...

--Arte

--Artemesia



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