Chalice
Unknown Artist
ca. 1460–80
Medium
Cloisonné enamel, silver-gilt
Dimensions
Overall: 9 3/8 x 5 3/8 x 5 in. (23.8 x 13.7 x 12.7 cm) cup: 3 3/8 x 4 3/16 in. (8.6 x 10.6 cm)
Classification
Enamels
Culture
Hungarian
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.368
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Medieval Art collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this exquisite chalice from Hungary, dating to around 1460–80, exemplifies the opulence of late medieval ecclesiastical metalwork. Crafted by an unknown artist, it measures about 9⅜ inches tall, with a silver-gilt body adorned in vibrant cloisonné enamel. The technique—creating delicate cells from thin gold wires filled with powdered glass enamel, then fired to fuse colorful designs—was prized for its luminous, jewel-like quality, bridging Byzantine traditions with Central European craftsmanship. In the Kingdom of Hunga...