Gemellions

Basins of metal or porcelain, produced as a pair and fitting one inside the other: one bowl with a small spout to pour water over the hands and the other to serve as a catch basin. They were used for washing the hands before meals or during liturgical ceremonies. They were being produced in Limoges by the 13th-century, although the form is earlier. The name is derived from "gemellus," the Latin word for "twin"), referring to the fact that they were produced in pairs.