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Ampulla. A type of vessel that comes in different sizes and shapes and is used to hold the chrism in churches and at coronations (the consecrated oil). The ampulla in the British Royal regalia is made of gold and is shaped as a standing eagle with its wings spread. The pouring hole is in its beak, and the screwed-on cover is on its head. It was remade for Charles II using metal from the original ampulla, which may have been the gold eagle ampulla used at the coronation of Henry IV in 1399.
Sources
Newman, H. (2000, May 1). An Illustrated Dictionary of Silverware. https://doi.org/10.1604/9780500281963
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