Byzantine - Menorah Flask - Walters 47673

This hexagonal flask is decorated with a menorah, a palm tree, and geometric forms. Many similar flasks substitute crosses for the Jewish symbol, indicating that a single workshop served the needs of both Christians and Jews in the area around Jerusalem. Menorah flasks, often discovered in graves, were used as funerary offerings, and to hold holy oil that came from synagogues and holy places on Mount Zion.