The neck of the ampulla has straight sides which converge towards the bottom before flaring into a scallop-shaped chamber. The opening at the top appears to have been deliberately closed, presumably to prevent the water from escaping. Possible bite marks near to the opening suggest the means by which this closure may have been achieved. A relief-moulded cross fleury occupies much of the upper surface of the neck; the surface of the chamber below is decorated by an angled shield containing a vertical fleur-de-lis with a long stem, from which project three opposing pairs of upward-angling leaves. Flanking the stem of the lily are the letters 'h' 'I', executed in Blackletter, or 'Gothic script'. On either side of the ampulla there is the remains of right-angled handle, each of which would originally have spanned the junction between the neck and chamber. On the reverse of the ampulla a relief-moulded symbol containing a lozenge and other, unidentified, elements is located at the base of the neck. The V-shaped grooves of the scallop-shell design emanate from beneath this symbol, radiating towards the rounded outer side with its corresponding wavy edge.

Height: 56.8mm; maximum width (chamber): 38.7mm; thickness: 7.3mm; weight: 50.7g.

Ampullae of this Type 1 form, with realistic scallop-shell designs, have been found in excavations in Salisbury (Spencer 1990: 59 - 60/cf. figs. 170 - 178). Although traditionally associated with the cult of St. James of Compostela, by the Late Medieval period the scallop-shell design had been widely adopted as a symbol of pilgrimage in general (ibid. 58 - 59). Shield designs are commonly seen on Type 1 ampullae and in most cases they were probably intended to be purely decorative symbols, as opposed to accurate heraldic devices attributable to a specific family or institution. In this example the fleurs-de-lis in the shield and on the cross above are almost certainly references to the Virgin Mary, but the significance of the initials 'h I' is unclear. According to William Anderson (pers. comm.), 'It seems likely that these ampullae were made at numerous locations. Except for a few cases it is hard to relate the design with a specific shrine or cult'. Anderson suggests a date of late 15th century for this piece, stating '...it has elements that are common on ampullae and other metalwork of this period'.