Ewer: The Gathering of Manna; The Destruction of Pharoah's Host

Biblical themes from the Old Testament grew in popularity during the sixteenth century. This ewer tells two stories from the Book of Exodus: on the shoulder is the episode during which the Israelites collect the manna that falls to earth after they complain to Moses of hunger, a story frequently represented on Limoges enamels. On the body of the ewer is a depiction of the destruction of the Pharaoh’s armies after the Israelites cross the Red Sea. This ewer could be a late work by Pierre Reymond, who signed several vessels of the same shape but decorated in grisaille; however, the rich repertoire of decorative motifs recalls the work of Jean Reymond.

Source: Vignon, Charlotte. The Frick Collection Decorative Arts Handbook. New York: The Frick Collection/Scala, 2015.