St Thomas Becket

Ampulla from the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. This ampulla has an openwork penannular frame decorated with the words 'OPTIMVS EGRORVM MEDICVS FIT TOMA BON' ('Thomas is the best doctor of the worthy sick'). The vessel itself is decorated with the figure of St Thomas Becket on one side and the scene of his martyrdom on the other. Above the scene is a depiction of the shrine where Becket’s remains were kept. Two circles can be seen on the side which represent holes in the shrine where pilgrims could insert their injured limbs in the hope of a cure or leave offerings to the saint.

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.