Cleveland Museum of Art

Pilgrim's Flask with Saint Menas

Date

400–600

Medium

terracotta

Culture

Egypt, Coptic period

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.