Pilgrim flask

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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 7th century AD.

The figure on the front is Menas, an Egyptian soldier-saint whose shrine was at Abu Mena, south-west of Alexandria. It is said that two camels brought the body of the saint to Abu Mena, where they stopped and refused to go on.

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

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-180-001-947-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland Part 2
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  A.1956.239
• Date: Between the 5th and 7th century AD
  Coptic
  
• Material: Flask, pilgrim
  
• Dimensions: 91 mm H x 70 mm handle W x 25 mm body D; 67 mm body; 21 mm mouth
  
• What: Flask, pilgrim
  
• Subject: Vessels / Roman
  
• Who: St Menas
  
• Where: Ancient Egypt, Alexandria
  
• Event:
• Description: Pilgrim flask of pale, whitish-buff pottery, with a flat, lentoid body connected to the neck by two handles: Ancient Egyptian, from Alexandria, Coptic
  
• References:
  • Evans, G. Souvenirs From Roman Times to the Present Day. Edinburgh: NMS Publishing Ltd, 1999, pp 1-2. 
• Translations:
• Related Records: