Nicely preserved St. Menas flask
€400
available
Object number
AR3350
| Object: |
Flask for holy oil, so-called St. Menas flask
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| Material: |
Red clay.
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| Date: |
5th - 7th century A.D. Late antiquity. |
| Description: |
A flat, circular flask with a long neck and two handles, which served as eyelets for a cord used to carry the ampoule around the neck. Both sides depict St. Menas between two camels. The saint raises one hand above each camel's head and bestows his blessing, with a cross above his hands on each side. |
| Size: |
Height 107mm, width 74mm, depth 26mm.
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| Historical: note |
According to ecclesiastical tradition, Menas was an Egyptian soldier who was martyred in the late 2nd or early 3rd century AD after publicly converting to Christianity. His remains were to be buried "where the camels stop," hence the saint is typically depicted with two reclining camels. Later, the pilgrimage site of Abu Mena (south of Alexandria) was built on this site and flourished until the 10th century AD. Such flasks were popular devotional items sold to pilgrims. They contained holy water, oil, or earth from the sanctuary, and their protective power was enhanced by the inscriptions and images. This tradition can be traced back to ancient Egyptian New Year's bottles, which were exchanged as gifts on the first anniversary of the New Year. These flasks were extremely popular in antiquity and achieved widespread distribution throughout the Mediterranean. |
| Condition: |
Some minor chips on the body, particularly on the lip. One handle has been professionally restored; it was apparently missing and has been replaced with modern material. Overall, good condition.
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| Reference: |
For various examples of St. Menas flasks, see, e.g., B. D.M. Bailey, Catalogue of Terracottas in the British Museum IV: Ptolemaic and Roman Terracottas from Egypt (British Museum, 2008), p. 115-124, Pl. 74-88.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired in 2022 at a German auction house. Consigned there from a German private collection, in this from the estate of the collector's father, who was a high-ranking German diplomat. During two terms of office in Egypt, from 1957 to 1961 and from 1969 to 1972, he built up a small collection. This particular bottle was acquired between 1969 and 1972 and has been in Germany ever since.
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| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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