MEDIEVAL AMPULLA

1150

Large lead ampulla dating to the medieval period (late 12th – early 14th century). Ampulla or miniature phials such as this were the main type of pilgrim souvenir (in England) during the 13th century and were designed to hold a measure of the thaumaturgic water dispensed to pilgrims at many shrines and holy wells of the period. Ampulla normally have a pair of small handles so that they can be suspended around the wearers neck. On this example both handles are present although one has been bent around the front.The obverse of the ampulla shows a type I scallop shell with deep radiating ribs and a corrugated surface. The scallop shell, as well as being the badge of St James of Compostela, was the emblem of pilgrimage itself so was a very common obverse type for ampulla of the period. The reverse of the ampulla has cast decoration which is quite worn; a central circle with a chevron inside it. Ampulla with the same decoration have been published from Sutton-on-Sea and Caistor in Lincolnshire and a similar find has been recorded from nearby SWYOR C751B2.There has been some speculation that this could indicate Clare - the family or the place in Suffolk, but the overall distribution is against this interpretation, and so it may simply be a heraldic or heraldic-looking filler for a space.The find has two protruding pieces of lead at the base, one of these is a part of the ampulla which has broken away and become wedged around the break and the other is a leak along the casting seam. There is no evidence that these objects were ever cast with legs or appendages. Ampulla were mass produced on a very large scale and sold cheaply at many shrines. It is therefore not uncommon to find such souvenirs with casting mistakes such as this.The ampulla weighs 48.17g and measures 53.23mm in length, 38.74mm in width and 10.14mm in thickness.