Ciborium
1762-1764 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
During the Catholic Mass, the wine is held in a chalice and the bread is contained in a ciborium.
This wonderfully elegant ciborium is a piece of sculpture as much as a goldsmith’s work. Its proud creator, Jan-Baptiste I Verberckt (1735-1819), signed his early masterpiece that he made in his late twenties while still reading sculpture and drawing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. He was the nephew of the eminent woodcarver Jacques Verberckt (1704-71), who worked extensively at Versailles. He studied with his famous uncle in Paris in about 1750, then returned to Antwerp to work with his father, whose mark has been employed on this ciborium.
The angel as figural stem of the bowl alludes to the appearance of an angel at the mount of Olives that marks the beginning of the Passion of Christ: “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke 22:43). The ciborium is decorated with an elaborate programme that shows scenes from the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament alongside personifications of the Christian virtues Hope, Faith and Charity on the base.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
This wonderfully elegant ciborium is a piece of sculpture as much as a goldsmith’s work. Its proud creator, Jan-Baptiste I Verberckt (1735-1819), signed his early masterpiece that he made in his late twenties while still reading sculpture and drawing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. He was the nephew of the eminent woodcarver Jacques Verberckt (1704-71), who worked extensively at Versailles. He studied with his famous uncle in Paris in about 1750, then returned to Antwerp to work with his father, whose mark has been employed on this ciborium.
The angel as figural stem of the bowl alludes to the appearance of an angel at the mount of Olives that marks the beginning of the Passion of Christ: “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke 22:43). The ciborium is decorated with an elaborate programme that shows scenes from the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament alongside personifications of the Christian virtues Hope, Faith and Charity on the base.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Object details
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| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Partly gilded silver ciborium, marked Antwerp, Jan-Baptiste I Verberckt, 1762-1764 |
| Physical description | Silver parcel-gilt ciborium and cover with an angel forming the stem. The bowl and foot are embossed with biblical scenes and the detachable cover is surmounted by a pierced crown orb and cross. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | The base with personifications of Hope, Faith and Charity and three scenes from the Old Testament: Moses Drawing Water from the Rock, The Gathering of Manna and Filling the Pot; the bowl with three scenes from the New Testament: The Marriage of Cana, The Last Supper and The Crucifixion |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | Ciborium and Cover
Angels are one of the most popular motifs in Christian art and seen as God’s messengers on earth. According to the gospel (Luke 22:43), an angel gave strength to Christ at the beginning of his Passion. Here this angel is accompanied by a multitude of cherubim, depicted as winged children’s faces. The angel is recognisable from a distance, however the biblical scenes on the bowl require close-up contemplation.
Antwerp, Southern Netherlands (now Belgium), 1762–4; Jan-Baptiste I Verberckt (1735–1819); marked for Michiel Verberckt (1706–78); engraved ‘Joannes Baptista Verberckt invenit et fecit Ao 1764’ on the rim of the base
Silver and gilded silver
Chased decoration of The Marriage at Canaa, The Last Supper and The Crucifixion on the bowl; and scenes from the Book of Exodus on the base
Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.102:1, 2-2008
(Display Angels and Saints/Sacred Silver Galleries, 02 April 2012-30 May 2013)(02/04/2012-30/05/2013) |
| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance: Sotheby's Geneva, 12 November 1990, lot 177 Jan-Baptiste I Verberckt was the nephew and apprentice of sculptor Jacques Verberckt (1704-1771) in Paris. He worked in his father's, Michiel Verberckt’s workshop in Antwerp after the end of his apprenticeship. Rather than entering his own mark, he sometimes signed his work as in this case. The earliest known work with his own mark dates from 1771, and only in 1775 he took over his father’s workshop. Jan-Baptiste also received academic training, including life drawing and sculpture, at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp (1751-56 and 1760-67), and won a medal as best in life drawing in 1767. From that year onwards he taught at the Academy and after retiring as a silversmith was appointed contrôleur for sculpture at this institution. The sculptural quality of this ciborium shows his academic training at a period of transition from opulent rococo forms and ornament to the Neoclassical style. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Literary references |
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| Summary | During the Catholic Mass, the wine is held in a chalice and the bread is contained in a ciborium. This wonderfully elegant ciborium is a piece of sculpture as much as a goldsmith’s work. Its proud creator, Jan-Baptiste I Verberckt (1735-1819), signed his early masterpiece that he made in his late twenties while still reading sculpture and drawing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. He was the nephew of the eminent woodcarver Jacques Verberckt (1704-71), who worked extensively at Versailles. He studied with his famous uncle in Paris in about 1750, then returned to Antwerp to work with his father, whose mark has been employed on this ciborium. The angel as figural stem of the bowl alludes to the appearance of an angel at the mount of Olives that marks the beginning of the Passion of Christ: “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke 22:43). The ciborium is decorated with an elaborate programme that shows scenes from the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament alongside personifications of the Christian virtues Hope, Faith and Charity on the base. Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996. |
| Bibliographic reference | Chapman, Martin. The Gilbert Collection of Gold and Silver. Recent Acquisitions 2. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1991, cat. no. P. |
| Other number | SG 279 - Arthur Gilbert Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.102:1-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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