ampulla
- Museum number
- 1992,0103.1
- Description
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Ampulla; lead; obverse: mounted knight, St George; reverse: two figures, one crowned, one with Holy Tear above an altar; inscribed.
- Production date
- 14thC
- Dimensions
-
Length: 76.07 millimetres
-
Width: 57.46 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Text from Spencer, Pilgrim Souvenirs and Secular Badges, 1998, p.227
A pilgrim-ampulla 'in the shape of a flattened flask with loops at the neck for its suspension. Between the loops a flange follows the outline of the flask. On one side is depicted an altar, with a patterned altar-cloth and a cross-patée at each upper corner. On the top of the altar stands a large ciborium or chalice, without a cover. On each side is a standing figure, plausibly identified on some other versions of the ampulla as Lazarus’s sisters, St Mary Magdalene and St Martha (Forgeais 1865, 65, 77), but here both faces have pointed chins, as if bearded. The figure on the right (damaged by corrosion) holds a huge pear-shaped tear, or a reliquary of the same shape, over the ciborium. The other figure holds a candle. The surrounding border is decorated with opposed triangles, alternately hatched and plain. The outer flange is filled with an inscription that includes the word SIGNUM (in reverse) but is otherwise unintelligible. Above are the words +LACR/+MA:DEI (God’s tear) separated by lines and surmounted by a zigzag border.
On the reverse a knight on a dappled horse rides from left to right. He carries a lance with pennon and a round-topped shield and wears mail armour and a cylindrical, flat-topped helm with two horizontal openings. Both helm and shield are capped by tiny crosses. Space behind the figure is filled with foliage. The knight identified by the inscription above : S : GEOR/GIUS. The style of the helm is 13th century, while the overall form of the ampulla is closely paralleled by ampullae made at Canterbury and certain shrines in the English midlands at the beginning of the 13th century (Spencer 1971b; 1982b; 1987, 219-20, nos 43-4).'
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1992
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1992,0103.1
