Anonymous, 6th century. Pilgrim's Ampulla (Lead, 38 mm, 11.84 g, 12 h), from a locus sanctus associated with Saint Thomas. +ЄVΛOΓIA TOV AΓIOV ΘⲰMA Doubting Thomas: on the right, Christ, nimbate, standing facing, holding book of Gospels; reaching for the hands of Saint Thomas, extending both hands towards Christ. Rev. +ЄVΛOΓIA TOV AΓIOV ΘⲰMA Doubting Thomas: on the right, Christ, nimbate, standing facing, holding book of Gospels; reaching for the hands of Saint Thomas, extending both hands towards Christ. Apparently unpublished. Cf. for this kind of ampulla A. Grabar (Paris, 1958), Ampoules de Terre Sainte (Monza, Bobbio). Extremely rare. A very interesting religious artifact of fine style and great historical interest. The decorated front and back of the amulla pressed together, neck broken off and some further breakage along the edges, otherwise, very fine.


By the 6th century, pilgrims from all over the Christian world visited the Holy Land, where a vast network of sacred shrines (or ‘loca sancta’) had evolved. Early Byzantine pilgrimage also had a profound impact on the material culture, as numerous portable ‘blessings’ (Greek ‘eulogia’) were taken home by pilgrims. Very well known are the terracotta tokens that were manufactured from the earth gathered at the loca sancta, bearing imagery related to the sites.

Another family of objects are the exquisite pewter ampullae usually associated with the Holy Sepulchre. A large group of these, showing diverse iconography related to Jerusalem's pilgrimage sites, were donated by the Longobardic queen, Theodelinda (570-628), to the cathedral at Monza upon its foundation (and are therefore known in art history as Monza ampullae). The Walters Art Museum holds another pilgrim’s ampulla that belongs to the same group. It shows a saint on horseback, holding a cruciform scepter, who is identified through the legend as Saint Sergios (Vikan, Early Byzantine Pilgrimage Art, p. 42).

Our piece is evidently related to these objects. The scene, showing the skeptic apostle Thomas placing his hands on the wounds of the glorified Christ (John 20:24-29), is very rare in early Christian art. Interestingly, one of its very few early depictions is found on a Monza flask (reverse of Grabar no. 9). There, the scene is presented with much more detail, showing all twelve disciples with distinguishing features, while Thomas’ eventual exclamation 'My Lord and my God!' appears as a legend above. On our piece, the scene is reduced to the essentials: Christ standing, reaching for the hand of Thomas, directing it towards the wound in his side.