{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O108985"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O108985/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AE9352/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AE9352/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AE9352","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KW8769","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KX5127","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O108985/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O108985","accessionNumber":"M.165-1956","objectType":"Chalice","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The chalice is one of the most important vessels of the Roman Catholic church. It contains the wine consecrated by the priest during the service of Mass. In Catholic belief the wine miraculously transforms into the blood of Christ during this service, so chalices were usually made from precious metals to reflect the precious status of their contents. \r\n\r\nIn the 16th century, Spanish goldsmiths were very inventive in their designs for church silver. They often combined religious symbols and images with fashionable secular ornament, such as one might find on domestic vessels like ewers or dishes. On the foot of this chalice from León, fantastical creatures flank two coats of arms depicting the crown of thorns and the five wounds endured by Christ when on the Cross. The skulls on the bowl allude to Golgotha (Hebrew for 'the place of the skull'), the site of Christ's Crucifixion.","physicalDescription":"Chalice consisting of a bowl, stem and foot. The plain bowl sits in an openwork cage (calyx) embossed with cherubs, skulls and animal heads. The stem is decorated with acanthus leaves with a protruding vase-shaped knop in the middle. The round foot is embossed with satyrs, foliage, animal heads and two shields.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Rodriguez, Llorente","id":"A14111"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"possibly"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Silver-gilt","id":"x37998"}],"techniques":[{"text":"piercing","id":"AAT231153"},{"text":"embossing","id":"AAT53826"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silver-gilt, pierced and embossed","categories":[{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2006AE9352","2018KW8769","2018KX5127"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"84","id":"THES49710"},"free":"","case":"CA6B","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Chalice","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"León (City)","id":"x33115"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1540","earliest":"1535-01-01","latest":"1544-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Dr W.L. Hildburgh Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"24.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"14/12/2915","earliest":"2915-12-14","latest":"2915-12-14"},"part":"Foot to rim of chalice","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"10.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"14/12/2015","earliest":"2015-12-14","latest":"2015-12-14"},"part":"Across rim of bowl","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"17","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"14/12/2015","earliest":"2015-12-14","latest":"2015-12-14"},"part":"Across foot","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Stamped on the foot:\r\nThe letters 'LLTE' in monogramme, below the letter 'O', in a shaped punch, maker's mark of 'Llorente';\nA lion rampant in a shield, a crown above, the town mark of León (Northern Spain);\nOn the outer rim of the foot: a swan in an oval punch, French duty mark for the period after June 1, 1893.\nZig-zag assay marks on the underside of the foot rim and on the underside of the foot.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"The attribution to Leonese goldsmith Llorente Rodríguez was tentatively made in 1989 by Rafael Munoa (see Metalwork Object file), but although he published the marks on this chalice in his 1992 work (with Alejandro Fernández and Jorge Rabasco) on Spanish silver marks, he did not confirm this identification in print.","historicalContext":"The Spanish Church\r\nThe Catholic church dominated public and private life in Spain. Money and labour were lavished on religious art and images played a central role in daily worship. To ensure that goldsmiths focused on work for the crown and the church, the authorities brought in a series of sumptuary laws that limited the secular display of gems and precious metals. \r\n\r\nBy 1550 the silver mines in Peru and Mexico were generating enormous wealth for Spain and feeding the traditional taste for massive silver forms. They included the custodia, a towering architectural canopy that was unique to Spain. It was paraded through parishes during the Corpus Christi festival to display the Sacred Host (consecrated bread). The custodia embodied many characteristics of Spanish church plate. It was sculptural, highly visible and richly imaginative in design. \r\n\r\nWith the Counter Reformation, Spain became a triumphant defender of a revitalised Catholic faith. Silver altar vessels and entire altars, processional crosses, custodias and sanctuary lamps frequently appeared in goldsmiths’ contracts.","briefDescription":"Silver-gilt, Spain, León, ca.1540, possibly mark of Llorente Rodríguez.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"The chalice is not recorded in Charles Oman, <u>The Golden Age of Hispanic Silver, 1400-1665</u>. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1968."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Fernández, Alejandro, Rafael Munoa and Jorge Rabasco. <u>Marcas de la Plata Española y Virreinal</u>. Madrid: Antiqvaria, 1992. ISBN 8486508282"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Carré, Louis. <u>A Guide to Old French Plate</u>. London, Eyre &amp; Spottiswoode, 1931, 2nd edn 1971."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"CHALICE\r\nSilver, parcel-gilt.\r\nAbout 1550. Town mark of Leon; maker's mark; monogram of LLTEO. On the base scrolled shields with the Crown of Thorns and the Five Wounds of Christ.\r\nHildburgh Bequest.\r\nNo. M.165-1956","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}},{"text":"CHALICE\r\nSpanish goldsmiths tended to mix secular ornament with religious symbols and images. On the foot, fantastical creatures flank two coats of arms depicting the crown of thorns and the five wounds endured by Christ when on the Cross. The skulls on the bowl allude to Golgotha or Calvary (Hebrew and Latin for 'skull'), the site of Christ's Crucifixion.\r\nLeon, around 1540, probably by Llorente Rodriguez \r\nSilver, parcel-gilt\r\nW.L. Hildburgh Bequest \r\nMuseum. No. M.165-1956","date":{"text":"22/11/2005","earliest":"2005-11-22","latest":"2005-11-22"}}],"partNumbers":["M.165-1956"],"accessionNumberNum":"165","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1956,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2016JG7930","2016JJ5973"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-14","recordCreationDate":"2005-02-03","availableToBook":false}}