Chalice, parcel-gilt, enamels and jewells, designed by A.W.N. Pugin, made by John Hardman and Co, Birmingham hallmarks for 1849-50

Silver, parcel gilt chalice set with amethysts and garnets and champleve enamel plaques; body screwed together through stem

Acquired from the Great Exhibition of 1851
Inscribed in gilt band around bowl: CALICEM SALUTARIS ACCIPIAM ET NOMEN DOMINI INVOCABO ("I will take the chalice of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord"). This chalice was never used in a church. It was acquired from the Great Exhibition of 1851, and as such, represents what was felt to be best in British design and workmanship in the mid-19th century. It cost £30, and was described as being "remarkable for the beauty of the forms and the delicacy of the ornamented portions". Hardman and Pugin's approach to design was pragmatic. Pugin's designs were often not made of silver, but of inexpensive substitutes. Privately, he also allowed the use of industrial methods of production. This chalice is therefore a spirited exhibition piece rather than representative of Pugin's actual commercial practice.

Furnishing the Church
A new business of church furnishing arose from the great surge in church building and restoration. Between 1840 and 1900, over 100 churches were built each year. Older buildings were restored or expanded. Every denomination from Anglican and Roman Catholic to Nonconformist was reacting to the widespread religious revival and the needs of an expanding population. Fitting out such large numbers of churches required specialist firms who could supply the complete range of furnishings. Clergy no longer commissioned individual tailors, furniture makers and silversmiths. Instead, stained glass windows, cl[Erical vestments and silver altar plate could all be ordered from church furnishers like Jones & Willis, Cox & Sons and John Hardman. These specialists would supply the correct equipment, as prescribed by the church reformers. They offered a choice of material, quality and prices to suit the resources of wealthy and poorer parishes. J. Whippell & Co. About 1902 Kind permission of J. Whippell & Co., Exeter

Leading Taste
The building, restoration and furnishing of churches were important outlets for Victorian creative talent. For some architects it was the mainstay of their business. The taste for the Gothic style, which became dominant though not universal,was led by architects like A.W.N. Pugin. Many Anglican architects were affiliated to reforming societies and closely concerned with design policy. Some were employed by commercial firms such as Cox & Sons to give their products a veneer of authenticity. In England so many medieval church fittings had been destroyed in the Reformation that architects were obliged to invent new forms. William Butterfield, the first official designer of the Cambridge Camden Society, modelled flagons on smaller medieval cruet shapes.

This chalice was never used in a church. It was acquired from the Great Exhibition of 1851, and as such, represents what was felt to be best in British design and workmanship in the mid 19th century. It cost £30, and was described as being 'remarkable for the beauty of the forms and the delicacy of the ornamented portions'. Hardman and Pugin's approach to design was pragmatic. Pugin's designs were often not made of silver, but of inexpensive substitutes. Privately, he also allowed the use of industrial methods of production. This chalice is therefore a spirited exhibition piece rather than representative of Pugin's actual commercial practice.

1328-1851