Gemellion (liturgical plate) with a Man Playing a Vielle for a Woman

A gemellion (from the Latin geminus, meaning "twin") is one of a pair of basins used for hand washing, either at home or during the mass. Water was poured from the spouted bowl and was caught in the second bowl placed below. Many gemellions made in the enamel manufacturing center of Limoges, France, were decorated with secular-themed designs of birds, beasts, or courtly scenes. This example shows a man playing a vielle for a woman in the central medallion. The champlevé enamel decoration appears only on the rim of the bowl and at the center, unlike other gemellions from Limoges that display enamel over their entire interior surface. This feature and others have led some to suggest that this piece was made outside Limoges, or else that it is a later forgery.