Basin of Bonifilius

Carved in northern Italy around 1300, this substantial marble basin was probably made for ritual use. Yet it is the lively sculpted procession around its outer wall, rather than its function, that first commands attention.

Lions, dragons and a salamander seem to circle the vessel. Drawn from different visual traditions, they could evoke danger, strength or protection. The name Bonifilius lends the object a human connection, while leaving us with an unresolved historical mystery.

Classical motifs, Byzantine inheritance and Romanesque sculpture converge in a single work. The medieval carver was not simply repeating familiar forms, but weaving them into a new and vigorous visual language.