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Height: 23.000 cm
Width: 21.300 cm
Bequeathed by Felix Slade
ME OA 1869.1-20.3
Room 34: The Islamic world
The art of glass
Pilgrim bottle
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, being made of gilded and enamelled glass, 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. This one is decorated with horsemen, musicians, animated scrolls and arabesques.
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