Object Type
This chalice and paten, or plate, were made before the Reformation in England to hold the consecrated wine and bread used during Mass, the central service of Christian worship. After the Reformation, the authorities of the new Church of England renamed this service Holy Communion, and the vessels were called a communion cup and cover. This chalice and paten continued in use after the Reformation by generations of the Roman Catholic family who owned them. The paten was often placed on top of the chalice, acting as a cover.
Design & Use
In design this example follows the standard form that had developed throughout Europe by the late 15th century, and which was dictated by the liturgical practices. The relatively small bowl was appropriate because it was only the priest who drank the consecrated wine. The knop, or knot at mid-point of the stem, was where the priest grasped the chalice when he raised it high for the consecration. The spreading foot was necessary to stabilise the chalice. The lobed form was to prevent the chalice from rolling when laid sideways on the altar to drain.
History
Most church silver was melted down in the upheavals of the Reformation. Very few pre-Reformation examples survive. This elaborate example was probably ordered for, and subsequently survived in, a private chapel of the aristocracy.
Physical description
Chalice and paten, silver, partially gilded, with enamel
Place of Origin
London, England (made)
Date
1518-1519 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Silver, partially gilded, with enamel
Marks and inscriptions
Engraved with the initials EH, probably for a later owner, Elizabeth Houghton (died, 1662), second wife of Sir Henry Bedingfield (1586-1656)
Hallmarked for 1518-1519
Maker's mark: a fish
Dimensions
Height: 15.2 cm chalice and paten together
[Paten] Diameter: 13.1 cm
Object history note
Maker's mark: a fish
Made in London by an unidentified maker
V&A Exhibition RF.2003/51
Descriptive line
The Bedingfield Chalice and Paten, silver, partially gilded, with enamel, England (London), 1518-1519
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Silver in Tudor and Early Stuart England ed. Philippa Glanville (V&A Publications, 1990, p.488)
Oman, Charles, 'Belted Will Howard', Country Life, 28th May 1948
Moore, Andrew and Margit Thøfmer, eds. The Art of Faith: 3,500 Years of Art and Belief in Norfolk. London: Philip Wilson Publishers / Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service, 2010. ISBN: 9780856676932
Chalice and paten not illustrated.
Moore, A. and Thøfner, M (eds.), The Art of Faith: 3,500 Years of Art and Belief in Norfolk. London: Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service. p. 43, no. 3.12. ISBN 9780856676932
Exhibition History
The Art of Faith: 3,500 Years of Art and Belief in Norfolk (Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery 02/10/2010-23/01/2011)
Gothic: Art for England 1400-1547 (Victoria and Albert Museum 09/10/2003-18/01/2004)
Labels and date
British Galleries:
This chalice and paten would have been used during the Catholic Mass to hold the wine and bread which, according to Catholic belief became the actual blood and body of Christ when consecrated by the priest. The richest possible materials were used for these vessels. Very few chalices and patens survived the Reformation. The survival of this set, and its excellent quality and condition, suggests that it was made for a private chapel. [27/03/2003]
Gothic
Chalice and Paten
This chalice and paten are rare examples of pre-Reformation Mass plate. Their quality and excellent condition suggest that they were made for an aristocratic patron and preserved in a private chapel. Most Mass plate was melted down during the reformation, though some was adapted to Protestant use. This set once belonged to the Bedingfeld family, who remained Catholic.
Silver, partially gilded, with enamel
Made in London
Formerly at Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk
V&A: M.76&a-1947, Purchased with the assistance of the National Art Collections Fund and the Murray Bequest
Cat. 218 [2003]
Categories
Metalwork; Religion
Collection code
MET
