Canterbury pilgrim ampulla

As we prepare for the enthronement of Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, this seems a timely moment to highlight this precious object from the CCCRH collection.

Pewter ampulla with golden patina. 45 mm high. OBV: Knight strikes Thomas Becket with sword. Cathedral cloisters behind. REV: The resurrected Thomas appears above a cross design made of circles.

This ampulla dates from the 13th century and shows the martyrdom of Thomas Becket. It contained his blood, much diluted with water from the cathedral well. His blood and brains spilled out on the stone floor of the cathedral and were scooped up by the monks and put in the pilgrims’ ampullae which became a source of income for the cathedral.

This item was found on the banks of the Thames River at London in the 1970s. It was in a private collection before being purchased from ARTANCIENT Ltd on 14 April 2014. It dates from around 1250–1300.