Roman goldsmith, Chalice of Pius IX
- Author
- Roman goldsmith
- Date
- 1850-1869 ca.
- Collocation
- Museo dell'Ottocento
- Original location
- Cathedral, treasure
- Material
- Silver, gold, enamel, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, enamel
- Technique
- Gilding, casting, chasing, embossing, turning, graining, watermarking, cutting, enamel painting
- Dimensions
- Height: 28,7 cm; Diameter: 16,3 cm;
This chalice in silver, gold, enamel and precious stones, by a Roman silversmith, was offered to Pius IX for his jubilee in 1869. For the occasion, the heraldic arms of Pius Mastai were placed on the foot. The pope then donated the chalice to the Florentine Metropolitan in the person of canon Eugenio Cecconi, who in turn gave it to Gioacchino Limberti, bishop of Florence from 1857 to 1874. Given its precious value, the chalice was used only on the occasion of solemn Cathedral masses, and only by canons. The chalice is in an exquisitely neo-Gothic and eclectic style and has a multi-lobed and mixtilinear base, with the arms of Pius IX, surrounded by an inscription in Gothic characters. The foot, the shaft, the median knot and the cup are richly decorated with cut emeralds, rubies and sapphires.
