A ewer is a household vessel resembling a pitcher or jug, traditionally used for washing hands or serving water. In poetry, it may suggest richness, ceremony, hospitality, or abundant pouring. Because ewers were often made of decorative metal or ceramic, descriptions such as “golden ewer” can also create an image of luxury or divine splendor.

An ewer is especially associated with a basin in a washstand set: water would be poured from the ewer into the basin for washing. The word comes through Old French from Latin aquarius, meaning “of water” or “water carrier.” Related terms include pitcher, jug, urn, and carafe, though an ewer often has a more old-fashioned, ornamental, or ceremonial association. In literary descriptions, an ewer may be used figuratively as a source from which rain, flowers, light, blessings, or other abundant things seem to flow.