Chalice of the Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis

2nd/1st century B.C. (cup); 1137-1140 (mounting)

A cup carved from stone is mounted in gold fittings to create a jeweled chalice with handles that curl up each side and a tall, flaring foot below. The stone of the cup is swirled with shell pink and rust brown, and carved to create vertical ridges. The gold rim around the lip flares outward and is set with a band of alternating pairs of small, white pearls and mostly garnet-red stones, though one stone to our right is a muted blue. In this photograph, the handles curve up each side from the base of the stone cup to the gold lip, where the handle divides into two scrolling tendrils on either side of a teardrop shaped center, like curling petals. The base and foot are as tall as the stone cup and gold lip. A knob-like form just below the stone cup is set with deep red and jade green stones around its center, and rows of small pearls around the narrow top and bottom of the knob. The knob is chased to create a pattern of scrolling vines, like tracery. The flaring foot below is also chased with the same pattern, surrounding gold, oval medallions set at regular intervals in the foot. In our view, the medallion to the left shows a bunch of grapes and the center is a portrait of a bearded man with a halo, holding his right hand up with his first two fingers raised. The details on the medallion to our right are difficult to make out but it could be a sheaf of wheat. Small, round jewels are set above and below each medallion, and between each one.

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Works of art are subject to continual change and movement. This chalice, made of materials from around the world, has been altered several times during the 2,000 years of its history. The oldest part is the cup, which was carved in ancient Egypt. Around 1137/1140, Abbot Suger ordered goldsmiths to create the gem-studded metalwork. This process transformed the cup into a chalice for the royal Catholic church of Saint-Denis near Paris. The chalice remained in use there until 1791, when it was removed during the French Revolution. Its appearance changed again as later owners passed it from France to England and finally to the United States.

On View

West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G18

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    sardonyx cup with heavily gilded silver mounting, adorned with filigrees set with stones, pearls, glass insets, and opaque white glass pearls

  • Credit Line

    Widener Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (height): 18.4 cm (7 1/4 in.)
    overall (diam. at base): 11.7 cm (4 5/8 in.)
    overall (diam. at top): 12.4 cm (4 7/8 in.)

  • Accession

    1942.9.277

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Abbey Church of Saint-Denis, France, from 1137/1140 to 1791;[1] Cabinet National des Médailles et Antiques, Paris, from 30 September 1791 to 16 February 1804;[2] acquired 1804 by Charles Townley [1737-1805], London; in the Townley family, London, until possibly 1920. (Harry Harding, London), in 1920; (Goldschmidt Galleries, New York), by 1921; purchased 20 March 1922 by Joseph E. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; inheritance from Estate of Peter A.B. Widener by gift through power of appointment of Joseph E. Widener, after purchase by funds of the Estate; gift 1942 to NGA.
[1] Abbot Suger did not disclose the provenance of his sardonyx cup. It may have been brought to Saint-Denis by dealers who flocked there in great numbers, or it may have been a pawn redeemed by a wealthy lender of the Jewish community that had settled in Saint-Denis and Paris (Panofsky, Erwin, Abbot Suger on the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis and Its Art Treasures, 1946, 2nd ed., Princeton, 1979: 55.)
[2] In fulfillment of the law ordering the nationalization of the monastic orders, on 30 September 1791 the chalice was taken away from Saint-Denis and deposited at the Cabinet National des Médailles et Antiques. On the night of 16-17 February 1804, it was stolen from the Cabinet National, forced into a plaster bust of Laocoön, and smuggled, presumably by way of Holland, to England, which was then at war with France.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1967

  • Treasures from Medieval France, Cleveland Museum of Art, 1967, 70-71, color repro.

1979

  • [Loan in conjunction with symposium on Byzantine Liturgy], Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C., 1979. [published incorrectly in Systematic Catalogue as 1978]

1981

  • The Royal Abbey of Saint-Denis in the Time of Abbot Suger (1125-1151), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1981, 108-111.

1991

  • Le Trésor de Saint-Denis, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1991, no. 28, repro. 175.

1997

  • The Glory of Byzantium: Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era A.D. 843-1261, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1997, no. 296, repro.

Bibliography

1625

  • Doublet, Dom Jacques. Histoire de l'Abbaye Royale de Saint Denys en France. Paris, 1625.

1641

  • Duchesne, François. Historia Francorum. Vol. 4. Paris, 1641.

1706

  • Félibien, Michael. Histoire de l'abbaye royale de Saint-Denys en France. 1706. Reprint Paris, 1976, recueil de pièces justificatives, part 2, 172-187.

1838

  • Marion du Mersan. Histoire du cabinet des médailles, antiques et pierres gravées. Paris, 1838: 166, 177–178.

1867

  • Lecoy de la Marche, A. Oeuvres complètes de Suger. Paris, 1867.

1877

  • Bouquet, Martin. Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France. Vol. 12. Paris, 1781. 2d ed., Paris, 1877.

1883

  • Rohault de Fleury, Charles. La Messe. Etudes archéologiques sur ses monuments. 8 vols. Paris, 1883-1889, 4:123-124, pl. 309.

1901

  • Omont, Henri. Inventaire du trésor de Saint-Denis en 1505 et 1739. Paris, 1901.

1910

  • Guibert, Joseph. Les dessins du cabinet de Peiresc au Cabinet des Estampes de la Bibliothèque Nationale. Paris, 1910: 27-28, 33-35, 39, 41-43, 46, pl. III.

1915

  • Conway, Sir W. Martin. "The Abbey of Saint-Denis and its Ancient Treasures." Archaeologia or Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to Antiquity 66 (1915): 103-158, pl. 16.

1922

  • Rosenberg, Marc. Der Goldschmiede Merkzeichen. 3d ed. 4 vols. Frankfurt-am-Main, 1922-1928: 4:311-312.

1923

  • Ricci, Seymour de. "Un calice du trésor de Saint-Denis." Académie des inscriptions et Belles-Lettres: Comptes Rendus des séances de l'année Paris (1923): 335-339.

1926

  • Rosenberg, Marc. "Ein wiedergefundener Kelch." Festschrift zum sechzigsten Geburtstag von Paul Clemen. Bonn, 1926: 209-217.

1932

  • Braun, Joseph, S.J. Das Christliche Altargerät in seinem Sein und in seiner Entwicklung. Munich, 1932: 46-47, pl. 3, fig. 8.

1942

  • Works of Art from the Widener Collection. Foreword by David Finley and John Walker. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1942: 9.

1946

  • Panofsky, Erwin. Abbot Suger on the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis and its Art Treasures. Princeton, 1946. 2d ed. Edited by Gerda Panofsky-Soergel. Princeton, 1979.

1949

  • Seymour, Charles. Masterpieces of Sculpture from the National Gallery of Art. Washington and New York, 1949: 10, 171, note 1, repro. 27.

1951

  • Pope-Hennessy, John. 'Review: Masterpieces of Sculpture from the National Gallery of Art by Charles Seymour." The Burlington Magazine 93, no. 576 (March 1951): 98.

1952

  • Christensen, Erwin O. Objects of Medieval Art from the Widener Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1952: 6-7.

1957

  • Guth, Paul. "Le trésor fabuleux des rois mages." Connaissance des arts 70 (December 1957): 147.

  • Shapley, Fern Rusk. Comparisons in Art: A Companion to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. London, 1957 (reprinted 1959): 1, pl. 1.

1960

  • Revel, J. F. "Un problème controversé: l'exil des oeuvres d'art." Connaissance des arts 96 (February 1960): 42-43, color pl.

1964

  • Frinta, Mojmír. “A Note on Theophilus, Maker of Many Wonderful Things.” Art Bulletin 46, no. 4 (December 1964):529, note 20.

1965

  • Crosby, Sumner McKnight. "The Creative Environment." Ventures, Magazine of the Yale Graduate School 5, no. 2 (1965): 10-15.

1967

  • Treasures from Medieval France. Exh. cat. Cleveland Museum of Art, 1967: 70-71, color repro.

  • Wentzel, Hans. "Abseitige Trouvaillen an Goldschmied." Studien zur Buchmalerei und Goldschmiedekunst des Mittelalters. Fest. K.H. Usener. Marburg-an-der-Lahn, 1967: 65-78, especially 74-75, figs. 14-15.

1969

  • von Euw, Anton. In Fillitz, Hermann. Das Mittelalter I. Propyläen Kunstgeschichte. Vol. 5. Berlin, 1969: 256.

1971

  • Frisch, Teresa G. "Gothic Art 1140 -c. 1450." Sources and Documents in the History of Art. Ed. by H. W. Janson. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1971: 11.

1972

  • Lasko, Peter. Ars Sacra. Pelican History of Art. Baltimore, 1972: 227.

1973

  • Montesquiou-Fezensac, Blaise de, and Gabrielle Gaborit-Chopin. Le Trésor de Saint-Denis, Inventaire de 1634. Paris, 1973: 38, 57-58, 164-165.

  • Finley, David Edward. A Standard of Excellence: Andrew W. Mellon Founds the National Gallery of Art at Washington. Washington, 1973: 101.

1975

  • Verdier, Philippe. "Réflexions sur l'esthétique de Suger." Etudes de civilisation médiévale: Mélanges offerts à Edmond-René Labande. Poitiers, 1975: 699-709, 700-702, figs. 1, 2.

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. New York, 1975: 36, color repro.

1977

  • Montesquiou-Fezensac, Blaise de, and Gabrielle Gaborit-Chopin. Le Trésor de Saint-Denis. Document divers. Paris, 1977: 177-181.

  • Montesquiou-Fezensac, Blaise de, and Gabrielle Gaborit-Chopin. Le Trésor de Saint-Denis. Planches et notices. Paris, 1977: 57-59, pls. 41-43.

1981

  • The Royal Abbey of Saint-Denis in the Time of Abbot Suger (1125-1151). Exh. cat. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1981: 108-111.

1982

  • Alsop, Joseph. The Rare Art Traditions: The History of Art Collecting and Its Linked Phenomena Wherever These Have Appeared. Bollingen series 35, no. 27. New York, 1982: 57.

1983

  • Brenk, B. "Suger Spolien." Arte Medievale 1 (1983): 107.

1984

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 34, color repro. 35.

1990

  • Verdier, Philippe. "The Chalice of Abbot Suger." Studies in the History of Art 24 (1990): 9-29.

1991

  • Le Trésor de Saint-Denis. Exh. cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1991: no. 28, repro. 175.

  • Kopper, Philip. America's National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation. New York, 1991: 196, color repro.

1992

  • National Gallery of Art, Washington. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 308, repro.

1993

  • Distelberger, Rudolf, Alison Luchs, Philippe Verdier, and Timonthy H. Wilson. Western Decorative Arts, Part I: Medieval, Renaissance, and Historicizing Styles including Metalwork, Enamels, and Ceramics. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, 1993: 4-12, color fig. 4.

1995

  • Honour, Hugh and John Fleming. A World History of Art. 7th ed. New York, 2005: 377, color fig. 9.37.

1997

  • Richler, Martha. National Gallery of Art, Washington: A World of Art. London, 1997: 18, color fig. 8.

1998

  • Pennanen, Valerie Hutchinson. "Communion." In Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography: Themes Depicted in Works of Art, ed. Helene E. Roberts. 2 vol. Chicago and London, 1998: 1:180-181, 184,186, repro.

2000

  • National Gallery of Art Special Issue. Connaissance des Arts. Paris, 2000: repro. 59, 62.

2002

  • Vaughan, Gerard. "An Eighteenth-Century Classicist's Medievalism: The Case of Charles Townley." In Reading Texts and Images: Essays on Medieval and Renaissance Art and Patronage in Honor of Margaret M. Manion. Edited by Bernard J. Muir. Exeter, UK: 2002: 307, 318, fig. 108.

2010

  • Gopnik, Blake. "Oldest Object on Display--National Gallery of Art." The Washington Post (October 3, 2010): R9, repro.

2016

  • Inglis, Erik. "Expertise, Artifacts, and Time in the 1534 Inventory of the St.-Denis Treasury," The Art Bulletin 98 (2016): 17, 19, fig. 5, 24, 32, 39, n. 138.

  • National Gallery of Art. Highlights from the National Gallery of Art, Washington. Washington, 2016: 33, repro.

2017

  • Dickerson III, C.D. "The Sculpture Collection: Shaping a Vision, Expanding a Legacy." _ National Gallery of Art Bulletin_ 56 (Spring 2017): 8, repro.

  • George, Philippe. Art et patrimoine en Wallonie des origines à 1789: Essai de synthèse à la lumière des collections américaines et européennes. Namur, 2017: 165, fig. 234.

Wikidata ID

Q59637113

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