St Barbara

Ampulla (small bottle for holy water) decorated with an image of St Barbara. She is shown holding a tower in her right hand (referring to the tower in which she was imprisoned by her father) and the palm branch of martyrdom in her left hand. There are two large handles on the neck. Ampullae were used to contain water that been associated with saintly relics – sometimes relics were dipped into the water to transfer some of their power. This water was thought to have powerful properties such as the ability to cure diseases and so ampullae were popular pilgrim souvenirs. Ampullae could be worn on string round the neck or hung up at home to be used when needed. This ampulla has an unusual style of decoration and may be a more modern fake.