THE DRAGON AQUAMANILE

By: Anna Clio Galea

Anna Clio Galea
5/8/14
INTRO/PREFACE:

The object I have chosen to focus on is the Dragon-Shaped Aquamanile. The
dragon aquamanile is a Copper alloy; 8
3/8
in. x 4
3/8
in. x 7
3/16
in. (21.2 x 11.1 x 18.2
cm) big, and is made of a material called copper alloy. The dragon is from North
Germany, and was created in about 1200 A.D. to serve as a device for washing hands
in Christian rituals. The dragon is gold colored, and supported by two feet and two
back wings. It has a long neck and very embellished head, from which a male figure
is emerging. The tail is also very long and curves over onto the back of the dragons
head. There is a square hole in the tail, which served the purpose of allowing the
aquamanile to be filled with water, and there was once a hinged cover over the hole,
but it is now missing. The society the artifact comes from is a Christian, German
society, in a time referred to as the High Middle Ages, or medieval times. There was
a hierarchy in function, and the society was ruled by a King, creating a society that
had a vast financial gap between the rich (royals) and the poor (peasants or
masses), but still was advanced enough and had enough money to spend time
making art, like the aquamanile.
I also chose to focus on the eternal truth of how fantasy and reality will
always be intertwined. I chose this because I am very interested in fantasy, and how
it connects to reality, and I think it is a good opportunity and very interesting to
analyze how fantasy and reality can be opposites, but at the same time rely on each
other. I chose the dragon aquamanile because I am very interested in dragons, and
the very radical and sometimes slightly irrational ways of the middle ages and
Medieval times have always interested me. This artifact is very symbolic, and
dragons are so interesting because they are symbolic in multiple religions.

PART 1:

Analyzing the dragon-shaped aquamanile lead me to ask one major question
about the artifact. What eternal truth does the dragon aquamanile exemplify? With
further research, I have concluded that the dragon aquamanile exemplifies the
eternal truth of a connection between reality and fantasy. This connection has been
explored and portrayed through many works of art throughout history, and the
dragon aquamanile is no exception.
Firstly, the dragon aquamanile exemplifies the connection between fantasy
and reality because a human figure is shown emerging, escaping, or being
swallowed in the dragons mouth on the aquamanile. This demonstrates the
connection between fantasy and reality, because the human, who represents reality,
is shown inside of the dragon, which is a mythical creature, therefore representing
the fantasy world. In this case, they are physically connected. The eternal truth can
be witnessed by simply looking at the artifact. The human and the dragon seem to
be in some kind of a struggle, and according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
The upper half of a cowled male figure emerges from the dragon's mouth It is
unclear whether the figure, possibly a monk, is in the process of being swallowed or,
perhaps less likely, successfully escaping the beast.
1
This quotes explains how the

1
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Aquamanile in the Form of a Dragon [North
German] (47.101.51). N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2014.
<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/47.101.51>.

human and the dragon are physically connected, and the human figure is being
literally consumed by the dragon. This is a metaphor for the idea of reality being
consumed by fantasy, or that having reality and fantasy intertwine is inevitable.
Overall, The physical artifact itself demonstrates an inevitable and inescapable
connection between fantasy and reality.
At the time of 1200, the people of North Germany were in what was called
the High Middle Ages. They were under the rule of a King, and were a hierarchical,
Christian society. During the high Middle Ages, there was no formal court of law, and
instead of using criminal justice and witnesses to prove someone who was
criminally charged, they used a method called Ordeal Formuals. According to the
Fordham University Medieval Sourcebook, The two methods of proof used in early
Germanic law were compurgation and ordeal. In compurgation the accused swore to
his own innocence together with a group of oath-helpers. Two typical kinds of
ordeal-in their Christianized form-are described in the following liturgical
formulas.
2
The Ordeals usually were various methods of irrational torture, like the
Judgment of the Glowing Iron, where according to the Fordham University Medieval
Sourcebook, the accused shall carry the iron to a distance of nine feet. Finally his
hand shall be covered under seal for three days, and if festering blood be found in
the track of the iron, he shall be judged guilty. But if, however, he shall go forth
uninjured, praise shall be rendered to God.
3
This was a method of proving
someones innocence, and we as an advanced society know that it is totally


2
"Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Internet History Sourcebooks Project. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 17 May 2014. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/ordeals1.asp
3
Ibid.
irrational, and created on a basis of fantasy. This demonstrates the importance of
fantasy (in this case, in the form of superstition) to accompany reality (being guilty
or innocent), in North Germany, 1200 A.D.
The dragon aquamanile was specifically designed for carrying water, to use
for washing hands, which was a religious ritual in the Christian practice at the time.
This shows a connection because in the case of the aquamanile, a figure of a
mythical creature is being given importance, and used in a real life ritual, which
blurs the lines between fantasy and reality in religion and everyday life. According
to The Cloisters: Medieval Art and Architecture, "Aquamaniles, which are water
vessels used for washing hands, served both liturgical and secular purposes. Those
made in the shape of an animal are among the most distinctive products of medieval
craftsmen.
4
This quote shows how the aquamanile is in fact a religious and secular
artifact. It demonstrates how they are bringing the fantasy world into reality by
using a mythical creature for something that performs daily functions such as
washing hands. The Ordeals and the aquamanile together show that the German
society in 1200 A.D. was very superstitious and had strong connections to both
fantasy and reality, which in turn were intertwined within various aspects of the
society.
Finally, the dragon-shaped aquamanile demonstrates the human desire to
use objects or creatures of fantasy to symbolize and represents objects, ideas or
moral values held in reality. The dragon aquamanile is one of the many objects of
fantasy that was used in the Middle Ages to symbolize several different ideas or

4
Barnet, Peter, and Nancy Y. Wu. The Cloisters: medieval art and architecture. New
York: Metropolitan Museum of Art ; 2005. Print.
values. Throughout history, people assigned many different symbolisms for the
dragon aquamanile. It is said that the dragon is a sign for lifes many perils, or the
struggles between man and beast, while dragons themselves as a symbol signified
good luck and authority and power, in both the Christian religion and other
religions. This exemplifies a connection between fantasy and reality, because people
used the aquamanile to symbolize things in reality, such as lifes many perils, and
the struggles between man and beast. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Struggles between men and beasts, both real and fantastic, can be found
throughout twelfth- and thirteenth-century art. Although the hapless figure in the
jaws of our dragon is not absolutely identifiable as a monk, it is likely that the
aquamanile functioned to some degree as a reminder of life's many perils.
5
This
demonstrates the symbolism of the dragon aquamanile, and how humans used
mythical creatures to represent ideas about reality, mortality, and life.
Because it symbolized the struggles between man and beast can be
interpreted as the connection between reality (represented by the man), and
fantasy (represented by the beast, which in this case is a mythical creature). The
symbol of lifes many perils can be interpreted as the aquamanile symbolizing
mortality, which connects to the reality component of the aquamanile. In other
words, the fantasy world (the aquamanile) was being used to represent components
of reality (struggles and mortality), which demonstrates a strong connection
between the two.

5
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Aquamanile in the Form of a Dragon [North
German] (47.101.51). N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2014.
<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/47.101.51>.
In conclusion, The dragon aquamanile exemplifies the eternal truth that the
fantasy world and reality will always be connected, because of the human figure
shown in the dragons mouth, the use of the dragon as a part of a religious artifact,
and the desire for people to use dragons as symbols for real life ideas/values.
Overall, throughout history, we have seen the eternal truth of a connection between
fantasy and reality demonstrated clearly, and going forward in history, looking
towards the future, we will begin to see this eternal truth exemplified in many other
areas as well.


PART 2:
Not only has the concept of a withstanding connection between fantasy and
reality been demonstrated over and over throughout history, but it definitely shows
through in many aspects of our society today, in the 21
st
Century. The strong
connection between fantasy and reality is demonstrated in the 21
st
Century through
the use of Photoshop in ads, our perception vs. reality of things like Facebook or
summer, and the cartoon TV show American Dragon Jake Long.
It is not uncommon in our time to hear countless stories of photoshopped
models, celebrities, and even the royal baby (prince George of England) everyday.
We see it in magazines, in ads, in news stories, posters, etc. An example of Fantasy
and Reality being intertwined in the 21st century is with the beauty and fashion
industry. Above you see three examples of professional photographs of models and
a popular celebrity "Fergie." Each photo has been edited with Photoshop to appear
more appealing in magazines, ads, or to the general public. The original photo is
displayed next to the edited version. Multiple adjustments in lighting, liquefying
(making the subjects appear thinner or heavier in various areas), color,
temperature, saturation, etc., have been made to each photo. In most cases like this,
the original photo of the subject will never be released to the public, causing the
viewers to believe that the image they are seeing is in fact what the subjects look
like in real life, causing a warped, fantasy based perception of the standards of
beauty we have. In fact, the majority of our current standards of beauty in the 21st
century come from pure fantasy, like the edited pictures shown above. According to
editor of SELF Magazine, Lucy Dazinger, Yes, of course we do post-production
corrections on our images. Photoshopping is an industry standard, she stated. Did
we alter her appearance? Only to make her look her personal best
6
This quote is
direct proof that the fashion industry relies heavily on feeding their consumers
images that are based on fantasy, which in turn warps their reality of actual beauty.
According to an article on Beauty Redefined, Whether or not a person is aware of
the possibility of image alterations, not everyone realizes exactly HOW MUCH these
images are changed to fit some seriously un-human and unrealistic ideals that we
view over and over. And not everyone understands that it isnt just fashion
magazine covers that feature drastically Photoshopped images. Its TV. Its video. Its
your favorite brand online. Its everywhere.
7
This quote proves how we as a society
place a heavy role in both reality and fantasy when it comes to beauty standards,

6
"Photoshopping: Altering Images and Our Minds." BEAUTY REDEFINED. N.p., n.d.
Web. 17 May 2014. <http://www.beautyredefined.net/photoshopping-altering-
images-and-our-minds/>.
7
Ibid.
and since we usually are given an unreal perception of beauty, fantasy and reality in
this case is often mixed.
Fantasy and reality are also demonstrated to be connected through the use of
images, and what we call internet memes. Internet memes are funny digital images
made to represent, parody, or satire many aspects of our modern society. The first
image is of a "fantasy vs. reality comparison" of our expectations of summer. The
"fantasy" perception is that summer will be fun and exciting, and filled with
adventures and time spent outdoors, but the "reality" is most likely that it will be
spent on the computer in a dark room, indoors. The second image is a similar
comparison, except with Facebook. The expectation is that after a week without
Facebook, you will get many messages or notifications from friends, but the reality
is much more anticlimactic. Both images show reality and fantasy connected via
perception. Sometimes, our fantasy- what we want to happen, is different from the
reality, causing the fantasy to affect our reaction to reality. According to Know Your
Meme, a website dedicated to analyzing and explaining memes, [expectation vs.
reality] is a two-pane image macro series illustrating the discrepancy between ones
own self-image and outside perceptions of physical attractiveness. The first image
typically approaches the subjects self-idealized image while performing a certain
act in a positive or attractive way, followed by a second image portraying the subject
in an unflattering manner.
8
This shows how the images idealize an expectation (the
fantasy), which in turn affects our perception of reality.

8
"What You Think You Look Like vs. What You Actually Look Like." Know Your
Meme News. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2014.
The popular song by a band called Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody emulates
and proves my eternal truth as well. Although this song was not recorded in the 21st
Century, but the 20
th
century, it lives on today as a very well known and often
played or quoted song. The song begins with the lines Is this the real life, is this just
fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality.
9
In these lines, the singer
questions the difference between fantasy and reality. This shows that in actuality,
there is little difference between the two in terms of perception, and they often go
hand-in-hand. Although they are opposites, there is often little difference between
fantasy and reality.
The final example of my eternal truth in the 21
st
Century is through the 2005
cartoon TV show American Dragon Jake Long. American Dragon Jake Long was a
cartoon show created in 2005 about a teenage boy name Jake Long who has the
ability to turn into a dragon to protect other magical creatures. The show focuses on
how Jake tries to balance having a regular life as a teenage boy (school, friends, girls,
etc.) with his life as a magical dragon.
10
This is a 21st century example of the eternal
that fantasy and reality will always be intertwined because a major part of Jake's life
is fantasy- because he is a dragon and he is often around other creatures of fantasy,
and the other major part of his life is reality- because he is still a teenage boy trying
to navigate high school. The two are intertwined in many ways, because a lot of the
battles with evil creatures take place in his hometown, and often near his school,

<http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/what-you-think-you-look-like-vs-what-you-
actually-look-like>.
9
Bohemian Rhapsody. Queen, Band. 17 May 2014.
10
"American Dragon: Jake Long Theme Song." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 15 May
2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgYhlA8-Tys>.
and also because his love interest, Rose, is also a normal girl (whom he repeatedly
tries to ask out in reality), but also doubles as a dragon slayer (who repeatedly tries
to capture or kill him in the fantasy world).
In conclusion, The dragon aquamanile exemplifies the eternal truth that the
fantasy world and reality will always be connected, because of the human figure
shown in the dragons mouth, the use of the dragon as a part of a religious artifact,
and the desire for people to use dragons as symbols for real life ideas/values.
Overall, throughout history, we have seen the eternal truth of a connection between
fantasy and reality demonstrated clearly, and going forward in history, looking
towards the future, we will begin to see this eternal truth exemplified in many other
areas as well.
11


11
"fantasy vs. reality comics 1 | Rat_Science." RatScience. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May
2014. <http://www.ratscience.com/?attachment_id=254>.

12

13



12
"Confessions of a young adult ( roller coaster of life)." : fantasy vs reality. N.p., n.d.
Web. 18 May 2014. <http://hopeknowslife.blogspot.com/2012/10/fantasy-vs-
reality.html>.
13
"Fantasy vs Reality: Retouching Photos (17 pics)." Izismile.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18
May 2014.
<http://izismile.com/2011/11/30/fantasy_vs_reality_retouching_photos_17_pics-
14.html>.