Pilgrim Flask with Scenes of St. Menas
Dublin Core
Title
Pilgrim Flask with Scenes of St. Menas
Subject
Pilgrim Flask with Scenes of St. Menas, 4th-7th century, terra-cotta, 8.5 x 6.8 x 2.3 cm (3 3/8 x 2 11/16 x 7/8 in.)
Description
Commentary
Flasks bearing images of Saint Menas are not uncommon in Egypt. Menas was a Roman soldier who was martyred; veneration of him as a saint centered on an oasis near Alexandria. On better-preserved ampullae bearing the same scene, the details of Menas' clothing (tunic, boots, and cloak, perhaps in the style of the later Roman military) are much clearer; the border type varies between the dot/stud motif and chevrons. Some examples bear inscriptions or depictions of crosses above the saint's arms.
Flasks bearing images of Saint Menas are not uncommon in Egypt. Menas was a Roman soldier who was martyred; veneration of him as a saint centered on an oasis near Alexandria. On better-preserved ampullae bearing the same scene, the details of Menas' clothing (tunic, boots, and cloak, perhaps in the style of the later Roman military) are much clearer; the border type varies between the dot/stud motif and chevrons. Some examples bear inscriptions or depictions of crosses above the saint's arms.
Source
https://iiif.harvardartmuseums.org/manifests/object/77733
Collection
Citation
“Pilgrim Flask with Scenes of St. Menas,” HAA Image Hosting, accessed June 9, 2026, https://haaimagehosting.omeka.fas.harvard.edu/items/show/1202.
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