Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Sacred Silver & Stained Glass, Room 84, The Whiteley Galleries

Cruet

ca. 1400-1450 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Netherlands (made)

Altar cruets contained the water and wine used in the Mass. These ones are enamelled on the foot with ‘A’ for aqua (water) and ‘V’ for vinum (wine). They are of unusually high quality and may have been made for a private chapel.


Object details

Categories
Ph_survey
Christianity
Religion
Metalwork
Object type
Cruet
Materials and techniques
Silver, partially gilt and enamelled
Silver
Gold
Enamel
Gilded
Enamelled
Brief description
Silver, parcel-gilt and enamel, Netherlands, ca.1400-50
Physical description
Cruet for the Mass. Silver parcel-gilt with enamelled details. Octagonal, the body supported on a stem with eight-lobed knop rising from an eight-pointed foot marked V(vinum) or A(aqua). The lid is surmounted by a foliated finial.
Dimensions
  • Foot of cruet to top of finial height: 23cm
  • Across underside of base; maximum diameter: 10.2cm
  • Weight: 421g
Gallery label
  • Pair of Altar Cruets Altar cruets contained the water and wine used in the Mass. These ones are enamelled on the foot with 'A' for aqua (water) and 'V' for vinum (wine). They are of unusually high quality and may have been made for a private chapel. Southern Netherlands, about 1400-50 Silver, partly gilded and enamelled Museum nos.M.587&A-1910(27/10/2005)
  • PAIR OF CRUETS FOR THE MASS Silver parcel-gilt, in enamel, on the foot of one, A (aqua); on the other V (vinum). Flemish; first half of the 15th century Salting Bequest
Production
South Netherlandish
Summary
Altar cruets contained the water and wine used in the Mass. These ones are enamelled on the foot with ‘A’ for aqua (water) and ‘V’ for vinum (wine). They are of unusually high quality and may have been made for a private chapel.
Associated object
M.587-1910
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
M.587A-1910

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Record createdMay 11, 2000
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O39537/cruet-unknown/
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