Ardagh Chalice

Ardagh Chalice
Ardagh chalice at the National Museum of Ireland
Material	Silver, gilt bronze, gold wire, glass, and enamel.
Created	Early Christian Period (700 CE - 800 CE)
Discovered	1868 near the village of Ardagh, County Limerick, Ireland
Present location	National Museum of Ireland, Dublin

The Ardagh Chalice, which ranks with the Book of Kells as one of the finest known works of Insular art, indeed of Celtic art in general, is thought to have been made in the 8th century AD.

The large, two-handled silver cup, decorated with gold, gilt bronze, brass, lead pewter and enamel, has been assembled from 354 separate pieces. The names of the apostles are incised in a frieze around the bowl, below a girdle bearing inset gold wirework panels of animals, birds, and geometric interlace. Techniques used include hammering, engraving, lost-wax casting, filigree applique, cloisonné and enameling.

It was found in 1868, together with a small bronze cup and four brooches, by two boys, Jim Quinn and Paddy Flanagan, digging in a potato field on the south-western side of a rath (ring fort) called Reerasta, beside the village of Ardagh, County Limerick, Ireland. It had a bronze cup within it, and four ornate brooches (fibulae). Buried without the least protection as they were, the pieces must have been interred in a hurry, probably temporarily, as the owner probably intended to return for them at a later time.

It currently resides in the National Museum of Ireland. The standard monograph is L.S. Gógan, The Ardagh Chalice

The chalice was featured on a £1 value definitive postage stamp issued by An Post between 1990 and 1995 as part of the series Irish Heritage and Treasures designed by Michael Craig.

Two Gaelic Athletic Association trophies are modeled on the Chalice: the O'Duffy Cup and the Sam Maguire Cup.

External links

• Ardagh Chalice

See also

• Derrynaflan Hoard
• Postage stamps of Ireland
• Insular art

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