French, Limoges, third quarter 13th century

The enamel which would have been applied to the surface is lost throughout. There is wear to the surface, in particular at the bottom. The metal is slightly warped, in particular at the outer edge. There are several scratches to the surface, notably at the reverse. There are a few minor areas of greening, notably to the coat of arms and to the reverse. There is a hole at the top. Otherwise the condition is stable.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A gemillion is a dish used for the washing of hands. They are believed to have been made in pairs, allowing water to be washed over the hands and fall into the second gemillion. The present gemillion would originally have been adorned with champlevé enamel, though this rarely survives given the fact that these objects were used frequently. This fine example is typical of the remaining corpus of gemillions in being adorned with an armorial, flanked by scenes of warriors. The proliferation of profane iconography on these objects indicates that they were used in secular contexts (though not exclusively). Compare with the example in the collections of the Wartburg-Stiftung, Eisenach, and the gemillion with the royal arms of Jerusalem in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. no. 49.56.8)

RELATED LITERATURE
A-C. Dionnet, 'D’Or et d’emaux. Les gemellions armories de Limoges clans l’embematique du XIIIe siecle', Bulletin de la societe archéologique et historique du Limousin, CXXII, 1994; J. Luckhardt und F. Niehoff, Heinrich der Löwe und seine Zeit. Herrschaft und Repräsentation der Welfen 1125-1235, exh. cat. Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Braunschweig, Munich, 1995, pp. 336-339, no. E6; E. Taburet-Delahaye and B. D. Boehm, L'Oeuvre de Limoges. Emaux limousins du Moyens Age, exh. cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Paris, 1995, p. 374, no. 132