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Mediterranean
| Chalice of Fra Pierre Du Cluys |
Unknown French silversmith
Chalice of Fra Pierre Du Cluys
Artist
Unknown French silversmith
Date
c. 1520
Size
h. 21cm, w. of base 15.7 cm
Technique
Gilt silver and enamel
Location
Mediterranean – Religion and Ritual
This French gilt chalice is a rare example of early 16th-century Parisian silversmith work and of the refined taste of the Knights of the Order of Saint John.
The chased and enamelled medallions feature the Apostles and Christ. With the exception of Christ, all heads are shown in profile and each apostle is identified by his symbol. There is little trace of the original enamelling.
Besides the unidentified maker’s mark and a crucifixion scene in enamel, the base includes the coat-of-arms of the French Knight and Commander of Moissy Pierre Du Cluys. Fra Pierre Du Cluys could have brought the chalice with him from France. He probably donated it to the Church of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Birgu which was the Parish Church of the dependents of the Order until 1617. The chalice was transferred to the Church of Our Lady of Victories in the Order’s newly built capital city of Valletta.
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