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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1978.495.200
Title
Pilgrim Flask with Scenes of St. Menas
Other Titles
Former Title: Pilgrim Flask
Classification
Vessels
Work Type
vessel
Date
4th-7th century
Period
Byzantine period, Early
Culture
Byzantine
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/77733

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Terracotta
Technique
Mold-made
Dimensions
8.5 x 6.8 x 2.3 cm (3 3/8 x 2 11/16 x 7/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Transfer from the Peabody Museum, Jan. 10, 1978.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Transfer from the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University
Accession Year
1978
Object Number
1978.495.200
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

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.

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Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu