Cleveland Museum of Art
Pilgrim's Flask with Saint Menas
- Date
- 400–600 CE
- Medium
- terracotta
- Culture
- Byzantine Empire, Abu Mena (Egypt)
- Department
- Medieval Art
- Institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Object ID
- 160975
From the Cleveland Museum of Art record
These flasks bear the image of Saint Menas, an early martyr of the Christian Church whose shrine was in the desert southwest of Alexandria in Egypt. These flasks were probably used by pilgrims to hold oil taken from the lamp that burned over this saint's tomb. Probably manufactured near the shrine, pilgrim's flasks often bear decorations hinting at their place of origin, as is the case here.
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Provenance & credit
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- Credit line
- Gift of Bruce Ferrini in memory of Robert P. Bergman
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