Chalice
1540-1559 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This Spanish chalice would have been used to hold consecrated wine during the Roman Catholic service of Mass. The round foot is embossed with half-figures of Christ carrying the Cross, St Peter, the Virgin, and St. John Baptist, separated by cherubs and fruit.
The chalice is made up of a number of different parts, organised around a central stem. The parts were made using a variety of silversmithing techniques in different areas of the workshop. It is assembled when the central screw is threaded through all the separate pieces and then tightened with a bolt. To prevent the stem from swivelling, some of the parts fix to each other using small pegs. The gilding was applied after the chalice was assembled as the parts that overlap remain 'white' in colour. Building up one object using a number of parts meant that the same basic pieces could also be used to create a range of different objects.
The chalice is made up of a number of different parts, organised around a central stem. The parts were made using a variety of silversmithing techniques in different areas of the workshop. It is assembled when the central screw is threaded through all the separate pieces and then tightened with a bolt. To prevent the stem from swivelling, some of the parts fix to each other using small pegs. The gilding was applied after the chalice was assembled as the parts that overlap remain 'white' in colour. Building up one object using a number of parts meant that the same basic pieces could also be used to create a range of different objects.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver-gilt, cast and embossed |
| Brief description | Chalice, foot embossed with roundels depicting half-figures of Christ carrying the Cross, St Peter, the Virgin, and St. John Baptist separated by cherubs and fruit, Castille, 1540-1559 |
| Physical description | Bell-shaped bowl set in a calyx embossed with strap work and masks and showing the hinges for the straps for attaching the monstrance. Baluster stem with knop decorated with cast cherubs and embossed strap work. Round foot embossed with roundels filled with half-figures of Christ carrying the Cross, St Peter, the Virgin, and St. John Baptist separated by cherubs and fruit. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Maker's mark, 'ESTORGA' punched on the underside of the foot. |
| Gallery label | Silver Gallery:
This chalice is made up of a number of different parts, organised around a central stem. The parts were made using a variety of silversmithing techniques in different areas of the workshop. Building up one object using a number of parts meant that the same basic pieces could also be used to create a range of different objects.
The cup was raised by hammering a flat sheet of silver over a stake or anvil to produce a rounded form. The central screw was then attached to the base of the bowl. Careful examination of the bowl reveals traces of hammer marks.
The bowl sits in a calyx which is decorated with masks and a pattern of strapwork. This has been created by embossing the silver. Embossing is achieved by working the metal from the underside with a hammer and a set of punches of varying sizes and shapes.
Below the calyx, a baluster or pear shaped stem is made up of three separate pieces which have been cast and threaded over the central shaft. Cast ornaments of cherub heads have been applied to them. These have been cast from an original prototype which was probably made of brass or lead pressed into a sand mould to create a shape for the silver to be poured into. The advantage of casting was that multiple copies of a single part could be made.
The round foot is embossed with half-figures of Christ carrying the Cross, St Peter, the Virgin, and St. John Baptist separated by cherubs and fruit.
The chalice is assembled when the central screw is threaded through all the separate pieces and then tightened with a bolt. To prevent the stem from swivelling, some of the parts fix to each other using small pegs. The gilding was applied after the chalice was assembled as the parts that overlap remain 'white' in colour.(26/11/2002) |
| Object history | The chalice was acquired from Sr. Fallola, Madrid and attributed by the Museum's art adviser Juan Riaño to the Salamanca goldsmith Alfonso Dueñas. It was included as exhibit 877 in the South Kensington Museum Special Loan Exhibition of 1881. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This Spanish chalice would have been used to hold consecrated wine during the Roman Catholic service of Mass. The round foot is embossed with half-figures of Christ carrying the Cross, St Peter, the Virgin, and St. John Baptist, separated by cherubs and fruit. The chalice is made up of a number of different parts, organised around a central stem. The parts were made using a variety of silversmithing techniques in different areas of the workshop. It is assembled when the central screw is threaded through all the separate pieces and then tightened with a bolt. To prevent the stem from swivelling, some of the parts fix to each other using small pegs. The gilding was applied after the chalice was assembled as the parts that overlap remain 'white' in colour. Building up one object using a number of parts meant that the same basic pieces could also be used to create a range of different objects. |
| Associated object | REPRO.1872-7 (Reproduction) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 302-1866 |
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| Record created | February 9, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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