St Thomas Becket

Ampulla from the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. This ampulla is set in a solid rectangular plaque. The plaque has fleurs-de-lys projecting from each corner. On the front of the plaque are four hovering angels carrying cross-staffs. The back is decorated with hatched crossed bands. The ampulla itself is decorated on the front with the figure of Becket wearing his archbishop’s mitre and holding a crosier, the crook of which protrudes outwards. The reverse decoration depicts the scene of Becket’s martyrdom: a knight is shown attacking Thomas Becket with his sword. Above the scene is the figure of an angel reaching down to Becket.

Canterbury ampullae contained holy water tinged with St Thomas Becket’s blood. The blood had been collected from his wounds by the monks of the cathedral after Becket had been murdered there by four knights of King Henry II on 29 December 1170. Holy water mixed with this blood became a miraculous cure for all kinds of diseases and was said to bring the dead back to life. Ampullae containing ‘Canterbury water’ were popular pilgrim souvenirs and were worn around the neck, suspended by cord that was tied through loops on the ampullae.