Object description
Made in the 17th century, this pilgrim flask has four looped handles and a narrow neck. It is decorated in vibrant blue, green and yellow on a white background.
The central image depicts a bishop and is reminiscent of portrayals of St. Patrick as a bishop. Here, the bishop is in alb and cope, wearing a mitre and pectoral cross. In his left hand, he carries a crosier, whilst his right hand is raised in blessing.
The shape and form of this ceramic vessel is mirrored on metal pilgrim flasks. These in turn were influenced by dried gourds that were used to carry water. They were suspended from the neck or the waist by loops, making them convenient to carry on long journeys (pilgrimage).
Pilgrim flasks- history
Pilgrim flasks were initially made from moulded clay and date back as far as the Roman period. They were manufactured in various locations around the Mediterranean.
One of the most prevalent pilgrim artefacts to survive from antiquity is a pilgrimage flask from a site called Abu Mina in Egypt. This was a major pilgrimage centre in Egypt. Flasks produced here were stamped with an image of St. Menas. Menas was born in Egypt and served as a Roman soldier. He was martyred during the rule of the Roman emperor Diocletian after he publicly declared his Christianity. The flasks are said to have contained water which was collected from the saint’s shrine.
This particular flask (see image above) gets its shape from the gourds that pilgrims would have used to carry water on their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. We know that it is from the Santiago (St James’) route because it features scallop shells, the symbol of Saint James. Nevers is on the French section of the route. It is decorated in green, blue and yellow with a picture of a bishop, believed to be Eustache of Lys who became bishop of Nevers by Henry IV in the act of a blessing.
Sources
The Hunt Museum Essential Guide. Scala Publishers. 2002.
https://projects.mcah.columbia.edu/treasuresofheaven/saints/Menas.php
Anderson, William. “An Archaeology of Late Antique Pilgrim Flasks.” Anatolian Studies, vol. 54, 2004, pp. 79–93. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3643040. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
