Chalice
Unknown Artist
ca. 1400
Medium
Silver-gilt, silver, and basse taille enamel
Dimensions
Overall: H:8 1/8 x W:6 5/8 in. (20.6 x 16.8 cm) cup only: 2 15/16 x 4 3/16 in. (7.5 x 10.6 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver
Culture
Catalan
Department
The Cloisters
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cloisters Collection, 1963
Accession Number
63.67
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite chalice, crafted around 1400 by an unknown Catalan artist, exemplifies the opulent metalwork of late medieval Europe. As a liturgical vessel used to hold the wine during the Eucharist, it reflects the deep religious devotion of the Gothic era, when such objects were both functional and profoundly symbolic. Hailing from Catalonia—a vibrant center of artistic innovation in the Crown of Aragon—this piece entered The Cloisters Collection in 1963, enriching the Metropolitan Museum of Art's treasury of medieval treasures. The chalice's luxurious materials—silver-gilt, silver, and bas...