Ciborium and Cover
1690-1691 (made)
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During the Catholic Mass, the wine is held in a chalice and the bread is contained in a ciborium. This ciborium and cover were made for this purpose. The belief that bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ when consecrated during Mass was reaffirmed in the 16th century. It was a central decree issued by the Council of Trent which set out to confirm and strengthen the doctrines of the Catholic Church. This led to the increased production of exquisite vessels for Catholic worship.
The vine and wheat sheaf motifs on the ciborium refer to wine and bread: the blood and body of Christ in the Eucharist. The crown and orb are symbols universally associated with royalty and power. On this Christian ciborium they are brought together with the dove to represent the trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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.
The vine and wheat sheaf motifs on the ciborium refer to wine and bread: the blood and body of Christ in the Eucharist. The crown and orb are symbols universally associated with royalty and power. On this Christian ciborium they are brought together with the dove to represent the trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Silver-gilt, raised, cast, chased, embossed, pierced, punched, matted |
| Brief description | Ciborium and cover, silver-gilt, marked Antwerp, Filip I Moermans, 1690-1691 |
| Physical description | Silver-gilt ciborium and cover, resting on a spreading foot embossed with cherubs, wheat sheaves and bunches of grapes on matted ground. The inverted baluster stem is matted and chased with fluting and leaves and has a beaded ring above and below. The bowl has a wide calyx decorated with wheat sheaves and vines. The cover is chased around the border with gadroons and the finial is in the form of an openwork crown surmounted by an orb and a dove within a sunburst surround. |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | Ciborium and Cover
The vine and wheat sheaf motifs on the ciborium refer to wine and bread: the blood and body of Christ in the Eucharist. The crown and orb are symbols universally associated with royalty and power. On this Christian ciborium they are brought together with the dove to represent the trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Antwerp, Southern Netherlands (now Belgium), 1690–1; marked for Philipp I Moermans (1636–1702)
Gilded silver
Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.91:1, 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: Purchased from S. J. Phillips Ltd., London, 1986. The ciborium is marked for Filip Moermans the Elder who in 1668 opened a workshop together with his brother Joannes Moermans (1625-1703). Sacred silver appears to have been an important part of the output of this workshop if the surviving œuvre can be considered representative. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | During the Catholic Mass, the wine is held in a chalice and the bread is contained in a ciborium. This ciborium and cover were made for this purpose. The belief that bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ when consecrated during Mass was reaffirmed in the 16th century. It was a central decree issued by the Council of Trent which set out to confirm and strengthen the doctrines of the Catholic Church. This led to the increased production of exquisite vessels for Catholic worship. The vine and wheat sheaf motifs on the ciborium refer to wine and bread: the blood and body of Christ in the Eucharist. The crown and orb are symbols universally associated with royalty and power. On this Christian ciborium they are brought together with the dove to represent the trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 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. |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.91:1-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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