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Description: | Complete cast copper alloy vessel of Medieval date. The vessel is shaped like an ampulla, with a bulbous rounded body, narrow neck and open sub-triangular side handles, but unlike the typical pilgrim souvenirs it is not made of lead alloy. The vessel is flattened at the back and the bulbous part of the flask at the front has a shallow depression. At the centre of this depression is a pierced hole. Altogether the vessel has 4 such pierced holes, the second corresponds to the first and is in the centre of the flattened back, a third is smaller and pierced through the rounded base of the vessel, slightly off centre; the fourth is larger and located at the point where the neck and body meet, adjacent to the base of one of the side handles. The exact use of the object is not certain and the reason for the piercings unclear. The vessel has a deep greenish-brown patina with some suface pitting.It is possible that the vessel was used as a holy oil flask possibly from a travelling chrismatory, or set of three holy oils used in the medieval church: oleum infirmorum for the sick; oleum catechumenorum for baptism; and chrisma or balm, used for confirmation, ordination and certain consecrations.Please see SUR-FA2AB0 for a comparable find.This object has been tentatively dated c.1100-1300.Dimensions (not listed separately): Thickness (front to back) 25.9mm, Thickness (of vessel wall at neck) 1.5mm.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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