Ciborium thumbnail 1
Ciborium thumbnail 2
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Ciborium

1715-1716 (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 ciborium was 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 ciborium cover is also fitted with a half ecu, a coin from the reign of King Louis XIV of France (r. 1643-1715), then a common practice to embellish silver works of art in northern Europe.

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

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Ciborium
  • Cover
Materials and techniques
chased and cast gilded silver
Brief description
Ciborium and cover with panels depicting saints. Silver-gilt. Antwerp. Josephus I Hennekin, 1715-16.
Physical description
Siver-gilt ciborium and cover, the bowl of the ciborium with four oval cartouches with reliefs of saints, whose legends are associated with the Eucharist. St Hyacinth, a 13th-century Dominican monk, rescued a monstrance containing the consecrated host, as well as a statue of the Virgin, during an attack on his monastery in Kyiv (Kiev). The cover surmounted by a crown held by four figural cherubim and fitted with a finial in the shape of a pelican piercing her breast to feed her blood to her young, a symbol for the Passion of Christ. A Louis XIV half ecu fitted to base of stem.
Dimensions
  • Overall height ciborium with cover height height: 43.6cm
  • Foot diameter diameter: 16.8cm
Measured 23/02/2024 IW
Marks and inscriptions
Initials of maker and date 1715 (Rim of foot)
Gallery label
Ciborium and Cover The cover of this ciborium shows a pelican piercing her breast to feed blood to her young. This is a symbol for the Passion of Christ. The ciborium is decorated with saints whose legends are associated with the Eucharist. St Hyacinth, a 13th-century Dominican monk, rescued a monstrance containing the consecrated host, as well as a statue of the Virgin, during an attack on his monastery in Kyiv (Kiev). Antwerp, Southern Netherlands (now Belgium), 1715; marked for Josephus I Hennekin (1643 or 4–1720) Gilded silver Chased decoration of St Dominic, St Gregory, St Hyacinth and St Francis Xavier Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.98:1, 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: Partridge London, 1996, cat. no. 6, p. 12; on loan to Portland Art Museum, 1996-1997

Josephus I Hennekin was a member of a dynasty of Antwerp goldsmiths that was active over three generations from the late 16th century. He worked in Paris in 1667 and even in 1673-74 is recorded as officially employed by his mother, Catharina Staels. Married twice, Josephus I Hennekin had two sons. His elder son Michiel Hennekin (born 1683) was to be his successor and as such was apprenticed to the Antwerp sculptor Joannes Claudius de Cock, but decided to become a Catholic priest instead. In 1720 his younger son, Josephus II Hennekin (1689-1758), became a master silversmith, and eventually succeeded Josephus I Hennekin as head of the family workshop.
Subjects depicted
Summary
During the Catholic Mass, the wine is held in a chalice and the bread is contained in a ciborium. This ciborium was 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 ciborium cover is also fitted with a half ecu, a coin from the reign of King Louis XIV of France (r. 1643-1715), then a common practice to embellish silver works of art in northern Europe.

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
Minter, Alice et al. Masterpieces in Miniature: Treasures from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. London: V&A Publishing, 2021, p.24, cat. 6
Other numbers
  • SG330 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • 1996.51 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
  • SG 322 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • 1999.25 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
Collection
Accession number
LOAN:GILBERT.98:1-2008

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Record createdJune 26, 2008
Record URL
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