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Samson and the Lion
(Medieval Europe )
This superb bronze candlestick refers to a scene from the biblical book of Judges (14:5-7), which tells how Samson killed a lion with his bare hands. Here, Samson rides the animal, with one hand resting on its head and the other supporting the drip pan for the candle. Bronze candlesticks and pitchers of this period were frequently made in the shape of a lion, a symbol of strength and courage.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Albert von Oppenheim, Cologne; Arnold Seligmann, Rey and Co., New York; John Pierpont Morgan, New York; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1923, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2006 | Lions, Dragons, and Other Beasts: Aquamanilia of the Middles Ages, Vessels for Church and Table. The Bard Graduate Center, New York. |
| 1995-1996 | Medieval Art in America 1800-1940, Patterns of Collecting. Palmer Museum of Art, University Park. |
| 1985 | Songs of Glory: Medieval Art from 900-1500. Oklahoma Museum of Art, Oklahoma City. |
| 1984 | The Taste of Maryland: Art Collecting in Maryland 1800-1934. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1967 | An Exhibition of the Treasures of The Walters Art Gallery. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton; Pace Wildenstein Gallery, New York. |
| 1964 | Let There Be Light. Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford. |
| 1955 | Life in the Gothic Age. Norfolk Museum of Art, Norfolk. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 5/2/1984 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
Measurements
15 13/16 x 9 1/8 x 5 1/8 in. (40.2 x 23.2 x 13 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1923
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
54.784