Artwork Page for Pilgrim's Flask with Nimbed Figure

Details / Information for Pilgrim's Flask with Nimbed Figure

Pilgrim's Flask with Nimbed Figure

c. 400–600

Byzantium, Syria-Palestine, Byzantine period

Medium
opaque glass with paint
Measurements
Overall: 10.5 x 6.9 cm (4 1/8 x 2 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Bruce Ferrini in memory of Robert P. Bergman 1999.236
Public Domain
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Location
105 Byzantine
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Description

Ampullae (small flasks) from pilgrimage sites were made of metal, terracotta, or glass. Because of their fragility, glass ampullae survive less abundantly than the other materials. This example was painted with the image of an unidentified saint bearing a nimbus or halo. It must have been used in conjunction with this saint's shrine.
A weathered glass flask features a bulbous body that tapers toward a jagged, broken neck as the base terminates in a sharp, hooked point. The opaque, tan surface displays a mottled texture with iridescent glints of green. Centered on the body, a reddish-brown figure with a circular halo sits beneath a thick, irregular band. The decoration is highly worn, appearing as an aged motif against the vessel's fragile, iridescent surface.

Pilgrim's Flask with Nimbed Figure

c. 400–600

Byzantium, Syria-Palestine, Byzantine period

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