chalice
Chalice
1480-1499 (made)
1480-1499 (made)
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A chalice is the central sacred vessel of the Catholic church in which the priest consecrates wine during the service of Mass. This chalice would have been originally accompanied by a paten (dish) for the consecrated bread. According to Catholic belief the wine and bread are miraculously transformed into the blood and body of Christ during the Mass. The bowls of silver chalices are usually gilded inside, to emphasize the precious nature of their contents and to protect the metal.
On this chalice, the elaborate tracery, acanthus leaves, thistles and intricate foliage mirror the exuberant stonework of medieval churches. The arms on the foot are of Gonzalo Davila, Steward to the Catholic Kings and Master of Calatrava and of his second wife, Maria de Saavedra.
On this chalice, the elaborate tracery, acanthus leaves, thistles and intricate foliage mirror the exuberant stonework of medieval churches. The arms on the foot are of Gonzalo Davila, Steward to the Catholic Kings and Master of Calatrava and of his second wife, Maria de Saavedra.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | chalice (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Silver-gilt, embossed |
| Brief description | Spain (Avila), 1480-1500, mark 'O/A' for assay master Alonso Hidalgo "the Elder"(goldsmith to Avila cathedral until 1527; town assay master in 1500). |
| Physical description | The foot set with shields formerly enamelled, bearing the arms of Gonzalo Davila, of Avila, and his second wife, Maria de Saavedra. Calyx embossed with thistle leaves, stem and knot formed of two tiers of canopied niches. Foot with serrated outline. |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | The arms are: (a) on a pile between six hurts a lion rampant crowned, for Gonzalo Davila, Steward to the Catholic Kings, Master of Calatrava, (b) three bars checky, for Maria de Saavedra, of the family of Castellar. Lopez de Haro states that the banner taken by Gonzalez Davila was taken in the church of the Franciscans at Avila. |
| Summary | A chalice is the central sacred vessel of the Catholic church in which the priest consecrates wine during the service of Mass. This chalice would have been originally accompanied by a paten (dish) for the consecrated bread. According to Catholic belief the wine and bread are miraculously transformed into the blood and body of Christ during the Mass. The bowls of silver chalices are usually gilded inside, to emphasize the precious nature of their contents and to protect the metal. On this chalice, the elaborate tracery, acanthus leaves, thistles and intricate foliage mirror the exuberant stonework of medieval churches. The arms on the foot are of Gonzalo Davila, Steward to the Catholic Kings and Master of Calatrava and of his second wife, Maria de Saavedra. |
| Bibliographic reference | The Golden Age of Hispanic Silver 1400-1665, Charles Oman, Pg. 26, pl. 37, HMSO, 1968 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 143-1882 |
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| Record created | February 9, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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