Gilded Copper Chalice - Italy, Siena - 15th Century

This gilded copper chalice, adorned with nielloed silver inlays, is a remarkable example of religious goldwork inspired by the Gothic tradition. It dates from the 15th century, and is of Italian origin, more specifically from Siena. A liturgical object of great symbolic and aesthetic richness, it was intended to contain the consecrated wine at the time of the Eucharist, in memory of the cup shared by Christ at the Last Supper. In its form and decoration, it is in keeping with a medieval typological model while testifying to refined craftsmanship. This refinement reflects the golden age of the Sienese household, particularly brilliant in its Gothic phase in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Church, a leading sponsor, encouraged an exclusively religious artistic production. These works express a Christian discourse where sensitivity centered on the visual, allows the faithful direct access to spiritual contemplation through material beauty. The chalice is composed of three distinct parts: the foot, the stem and the cup. The foot, with a polylobed plan with six sides, presents a particularly elaborate chiseled and embossed vegetal decoration, composed of leaves, volutes and stylized flowers. This ornamental repertoire is directly inspired by Gothic illuminations and architectural decorations, which visually translate the harmony of divine creation and the beauty of the liturgy. The hexagonal stem is punctuated in its center by a large knot, typical of Gothic chalices. The latter is decorated with six medallions inlaid with nielloed silver, a precious technique. The use of this technique dates back to Antiquity but saw a revival of interest in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to decorate goldsmith pieces or prestigious weapons. It is a black alloy composed of sulfur, lead, copper and silver that allows drawing or writing in the engraved cavities in a contrasting and deeply legible way. These medallions represent coats of arms, probably those of the sponsor or a religious order, and also an inscription IHS, sacred monogram of the name of Jesus ("Iesus Hominum Salvator"). Below these we find another inscription Ave Maria Sacra, devotional formula dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The cup, slightly flared, is supported by an openwork mount where stylized leaf motifs are displayed, thus extending the decorative richness of the whole. Although made of copper, a more accessible material than gold or solid silver, it retains a solemn and sacred shine. The gilding masks the more modest nature of the metal while respecting the liturgical requirements that sacred objects should be noble and resplendent. Thus, this chalice, through the finesse of its details, the richness of its materials and the complexity of its symbols, illustrates the spiritual and social power of the liturgical object in the medieval Church. It becomes both an instrument of the sacred and a work of art, transmitting through the centuries a tangible image of the faith and artistic taste of its time.