An ampulla mould

Back to Time Period
An ampulla mould

An ampulla was a pilgrim's badge in which holy water could be taken from a well or other holy place . This mould of fine limestone appears to be one of a pair in which a barrel-shaped ampullae, perhaps of lead or alloy, could be cast.

It was found in a tenement in High Street in the 1930s and might have been used to carry holy water from a local holy well such as St Sidwell's or St Clarus' well, which seems to have been in Matford Lane.

Acknowledgments: RAM Museum

Pinit
Share on Facebook