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Hexagonal Pilgrim Jug

late 7th–early 8th century

Not on view

Under Byzantine rule and continuing under Islam, pilgrims collected sanctified oil or water poured over relics and sacred objects at holy sites and brought it back in small containers such as those in this case. These liquids were considered to be eulogiai, material blessings.
One side of this flask features a standing caliph, an image found on Umayyad coins, suggesting it was used by Muslim visitors to Islamic, or even certain Christian, holy sites, which Muslims are known to have visited during the early Islamic period.

Hexagonal Pilgrim Jug, Glass, molded — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Hexagonal Pilgrim Jug

Date: late 7th–early 8th century

Geography: Made in Palestine

Medium: Glass, molded

Dimensions: 5 5/16 x 2 3/8 in. (13.5 x 6 cm)

Classification: Glass

Credit Line: The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (AN1949.144.a)

Accession Number: isl1765

The Met

Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.