Vol.I - The Coptic Orthodox Church

74 Ancient Coptic Churches. [CH. n.
be carried by strings as they will not remain upright
unless suspended. The body has generally the
figure
prayer
of Mari Mina with arms outstretched in
: low down on either side a camel or some
other animal is represented, and higher up are two
or three small Greek crosses. Sometimes, but not
always, a Greek inscription is also found, either
EVLOTIA TOY ATIOV MHNA or simply TOY AHOY
MHNA or O ATIOC MHNAC 1
. The
whole of the work is
in low relief and surrounded by a circular moulding.
The British Museum and most of the continental
museums contain examples of these pilgrim bottles,
which may have been used as chrismatories 2 . Two
in my possession have no inscription,
but a double
circular moulding with a band of small pellets
between them.
1 Menas or JULHItA. was a common Coptic name in the fourth
century.
2 v. De Rossi, Bulletino di Archaeologia Cnstiana, 1869, p. 31,
32, and 1872, pp. 25-30, where cuts are given.