Hexagonal Jug with Christian Symbols

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Hexagonal Jug with Christian Symbols

Place of OriginPalestine, possibly around Jerusalem

Dateabout 578-614

DimensionsH: 6 1/16 in. (15.3 cm); Rim Diam: 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm); Body Diam: 2 7/8 in. (7.2 cm)

MediumGlass; mold-blown, tooled, applied handle;

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1361

Not on View

DescriptionThis small hexagonal jug is made of medium-thin, transparent to translucent dark brownish yellow glass. The neck and spouted mouth were free-blown and tooled, with the rim folded outward, upward, inward, and downward to create a funnel shape. The cylindrical neck leads to a slightly sloped horizontal shoulder and a hexagonal body, which was blown into a mold with designs in low relief on the interior. Mold seams cannot be detected, but the relief remains crisp. The six rectangular panels on the body each contain intaglio designs bordered by recessed dots: three panels show distinct Christian cross motifs—one atop a stepped base, one rising from concentric circles, and one emerging from leafy tendrils—while the alternating three panels contain lozenges with recessed dots. The hollow handle is attached at the shoulder above a panel and joins the rim, with excess glass drawn out thin. The base is flat and retains a ring pontil mark. The surface shows rainbow iridescence, ice floes, and beige weathering from burial. This jug is classified as Barag A I 3, part of a group of hexagonal Christian pilgrim vessels made in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

Label TextThis small hexagonal jug, likely made near Jerusalem in the late sixth century, features symbolic Christian imagery molded in relief. Three distinct cross forms—one atop a stepped base, another rising from a pair of concentric circles, and a third from leafy tendrils—alternate with decorative lozenges. These symbols refer to important Christian beliefs linking the site of Golgotha with Paradise and the Tree of Life. Pilgrims likely purchased such vessels as souvenirs filled with sacred oil from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Its weathered surface now shimmers with iridescence, preserving both artistic detail and devotional history.Published ReferencesBarag, Dan P., "Glass Pilgrim Vessels from Jerusalem, Pts. I," Journal of Glass Studies 12, 1970, p. 55 (A I 3), 58, fig. 1.

Stern, E. Marianne, Roman Mold-blown Glass: The First through Sixth Centuries, Rome, "L'Erma" di Bretschneider, 1995, p. 253-254, no. 169.