An unusually small and classically formed Lamhog, an Irish ceremonial drinking vessel. Now very rare, the delightfully shaped vessels are turned from solid willow and always have a single small lug handle. Close cousins to the noble Methers, (the larger rectangular formed four handled vessels of which virtually none survive outside institutional collections), both forms date back to the middle ages. Both Methers and Lamhogs are held in the national museum collections in Ireland, as well as being illustrated and discussed in Evan Thomas, Pinto and Levi. Folklore suggests that they were used as vessels of welcome and celebration. This example is in excellent original condition with a lovely faded colour and no structural issues, it is an unusually small size and has great traces of the original pole lathe turning. A rare and interesting survival and important piece from the Irish Folk Tradition.
