Pilgrim bottle with screw top 1581

This Pilgrim bottle with screw top was made from ceramic by Antoine Syjalon, in France, during the 16th century. The bottle’s design is filled with symbolic imagery. Winged figures flank a coat of arms beneath a crown, all rendered in striking blue and yellow. The choice of a pilgrim bottle as a form is interesting. Pilgrimages were common in the 16th century, and the bottles that pilgrims carried were often decorated with religious symbols. However, this bottle features imagery associated with nobility, suggesting that the patron of the artwork was more interested in displaying their wealth and status than in expressing their piety. This is a fascinating example of how artistic patronage shaped the production of art. By studying similar pieces and related documents, we can learn a great deal about the social and cultural context in which this bottle was created.