Pilgrim bottle
From Syria, AD 1330-50
Decorated with horsemen, musicians, animated scrolls and
arabesques
The shape of this bottle echoes the leather water flasks used by
medieval travellers, being flat on one side and rounded on the
other. However, it was obviously not intended to be slung from the
saddle of a horse, but probably made for sale to a pilgrim to the
Holy Land. Glass vessels were especially popular with pilgrims
seeking containers for their mementoes, as the contents (bones of
saints, earth or water from sacred sites) remained both safe and
visible.
The richly coloured enamels and gilding give a luxurious effect
which disguises the rather poor quality of the thick and bubbly
glass. The horsemen are depicted with great animation and detail.
They wear the feathered hats made popular by the Mongols of Iran
and thigh-high leather boots, with straps to hold them up like
waders, which provided some protection against wild animals.
R. Ward (ed.), Gilded and enamelled glass fro (London, The British Museum Press, 1998)