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Title

Chalice

Generic classification
Goldsmithing
Object
Chalice
Date
ca. 1500-1520
Century
First half of the 16th c.
Cultural context / style
Late Gothic
Dimensions
9 1/16 x 6 5/8 in
Material
Silver
Technique
Chiseled, Gilded, Cast
Iconography / Theme
Motivos vegetales
Provenance
Possible origin from Castile and Leon (Castilla y León, Possible origin from Castile and Leon, Spain)
Current location
Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester (Rochester, United States)
Inventory Number in Current Collection
1949.52
Object history

The ornamentation of the foot and the shape of the apple with protrusions allow us to identify this piece as a late Gothic work, probably made between 1500-1520. Unfortunately, the chalice lacks a mark (Barrón García, 1998); however, it is very similar to another example preserved in the Museo Colegial de Daroca, in Zaragoza (Cruz Valdovinos, 1992). The latter was made by the goldsmith Alonso Sánchez de Salinas (Barrón García, 1994), whose workshop was located in Burgos. This is not surprising, since during the 15th century numerous works were commissioned to goldsmiths from Burgos (Barrón García, 2000), whose works ended up being dispersed throughout the peninsula. Something similar would happen with another chalice currently conserved in the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford).

In any case, it seems that this chalice comes from the Castilian environment. It is unknown when it left its original location, but on December 8, 1932 it was sold in Madrid along with a paten, whose origin would be the same, by Raimundo Ruiz. This dealer worked with his brother Luis trading in antiques and they are responsible for having exported numerous pieces out of the country, such as the sculptural group of the Adoration of the Magi from Cerezo del Río Tirón (Burgos) or some tapestries from the cathedral of Burgos (Martínez Ruiz, 2011).

Joseph Brummer was the one who acquired the chalice -he bought it along with other pieces of goldsmithing for a total of 3,000 dollars-, moving it to New York. The purchase appears in his records as number 392. After his death, the collection was dispersed. Thus it was that the piece ended up being auctioned on May 11, 1949 by Parke-Benet Galleries. In the auction catalog the chalice is listed as lot 515:

Gothic Gilded Silver Chalice. Spanish, XV-XVI Century.

Plain cup applied with a lower collar of cusped arches; on hexagonal stem with large paneled bulbous knop engraved with foliations, on a flaring and cusped hexafoil foot, the alternate panels wrought with the Savior and foliage motifs. Together with a gilded copper paten inset with a silver and niello medallion of the Ecce Homo.

The Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rocherster (United States) participated in the auction and acquired the chalice in 1949, where it is preserved today.

Description

The calyx has a semi-oval cup with a major transverse axis. In addition, it is decorated with superimposed leaves. Its shaft is hexagonal and is ornamented with vegetal motifs. It has an apple with flattering projections, also with vegetation.

* The relative location of dealers, antique shops, art galleries, and collectors leads us to the places where they were based or had one of their main headquarters. However, this does not always indicate that every artwork that passed through their hands was physically located there. In the case of antique dealers and art merchants, their business often extended across multiple territories; sometimes they would purchase items at their origin and send them directly to clients. Similarly, some collectors owned multiple residences, sometimes in different countries, where they housed their collections. It is often difficult to determine exactly where a specific piece was kept during its time in their possession. Consequently, the main location of the dealer or collector is indicated. These factors should be considered when interpreting the map. Refer to the object's history in each case.
Bibliography
  • BARRÓN GARCÍA, Aurelio (2000): "La platería en Castilla y León", en El arte de la plata y de las joyas en la España de Carlos V, SEACEX, La Coruña.
  • BARRÓN GARCÍA, Aurelio (1998): La época dorada de la platería burgalesa, 1400-1600, Excma. Diputación de Burgos, Burgos.
  • BARRÓN GARCÍA, Aurelio (1994): La platería burgalesa, 1475-1600, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza.
  • CRUZ VALDOVINOS, José Manuel (1992): Platería en la época de los Reyes Católicos, Fundación Central Hispano, Madrid, pp. 135-136.
  • MARTÍNEZ RUIZ, María José (2011): "Raimundo Ruiz y Luis Ruiz: pioneros del mercado de antigüedades españolas en EE. UU.", nº 161, Berceo, pp. 49-87.
  • PARKE-BERNET GALLERIES (1949): Part Two of the notable art collection belonging to the estate of the late Joseph Brummer, Parke-Bernet Galleries, Nueva York, pp. 121-122.
Citation:

Isabel Escalera Fernández, "Chalice" in Nostra et Mundi. Cultural Heritage from Castile and Leon around the world, Fundación Castilla y León, 2025. https://inventario.nostraetmundi.com/en/work/419

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