The Ardagh Chalice is a large silver and gilt bronze communion cup, the best known object in the Ardagh Hoard, a hoard of Irish metalwork from the eighth and ninth centuries found in 1868 by two boys digging in a field near Ardagh, Ireland. Decorated with gold filigree panels, enamel studs and an inscribed band bearing the names of the apostles, it is considered one of the finest achievements of early medieval Insular metalwork. The chalice is on permanent display at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.
Facts
Year CreatedThought to have been made in the 8th century AD; precise year unknown. 750 is a representative midpoint, not a sourced exact year. MediumSilver, with gold, gilt bronze, brass, lead pewter and enamel 1 LocationNational Museum of Ireland, Dublin 1 Connections
In Form
Insular silver and gilt-bronze chalice.
Sources
1. Ardagh Chalice (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section, first paragraph
Found in 1868 by two young local boys, Jim Quin and Paddy Flanagan, it is now on display in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.
Lead section, second paragraph
The chalice ranks with the Book of Kells as one of the finest known works of metal Insular art, indeed of Celtic art in general, and is thought to have been made in the 8th century AD.
Chalice section, first paragraph
The chalice is a large, two-handled beaten silver cup, decorated with gold, gilt bronze, brass, lead pewter and enamel, which has been assembled from 354 separate pieces; this complex construction is typical of early Christian Irish metalwork.
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