'Enamelled Jug. The purification. Exodus Chap. 19th. V.14.1'

Photograph of a painted enamel ewer, created in Limoges in the second half of the sixteenth century and now in the collection of the Louvre, Paris (MR 2442). The vessel's cylindrical neck flares into a lobed, angular spout, while a curving loop forms its handle. The body is divided in three horizontal narrative zones by two decorative bands. The larger, main frieze depicts the ritual purification of the Israelites in the desert. A semi-draped woman dominates the spout. The scene is probably based on contemporary engravings inspired by the Book of Exodus.