Pilgrim flask (back)

Pilgrim flasks were used by pilgrims to hold small amounts of secondary relics such as hallowed oil, earth, dust or water. This earthenware example dates from the 5th to the 7th century AD and is decorated with Menas, an Egyptian soldier-saint whose shrine was at Abu Mena, south-west of Alexandria. This picture shows the back of the flask.

The back is decorated with a Maltese cross, surrounded by a wreath. The flask originally had two handles for suspension around the neck or body. One of the handles is missing.

Flasks such as these may have contained water from the many cisterns at St Menas's shrine. They may also have held hallowed oil from a lamp suspended above the saint's tomb.

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