
French 12th Century (cup Alexandrian 2nd/1st Century B.C.)Chalice of the Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis, 2nd/1st century B.C. (cup); 1137-1140 (mounting) Widener Collection1942.9.277
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This chalice, a vessel to hold wine for Mass, is one of the most splendid treasures from the  Middle Ages. Acquired by Abbot Suger for the French royal abbey of Saint-Denis, near Paris,  the stone cup was set in gold and probably used in the consecration ceremony for the new altar  chapels of the church on 11 June 1144.
Suger, abbot of Saint-Denis from 1122 to 1151, was not only a Benedictine monk but also a  brilliant administrator who served as regent of France during the Second Crusade. With objects  such as this chalice and the abbey&amp;#8217;s new Gothic architecture, he aimed to create a vision of  paradise on earth that would awe beholders. In his writings, Suger equated Divine Light with the  real light shimmering through stained glass and glistening from gems.
The cup incorporated in Abbot Suger&amp;#8217;s chalice was carved from sardonyx, probably in  Alexandria, Egypt during the second to first centuries B.C. Suger&amp;#8217;s goldsmiths mounted the cup  in a gold and silver setting with delicate gold-wire filigree and adorned it with gems. On the foot,  a medallion depicts the haloed Christ, flanked by the Greek letters signifying: &amp;#8220;I am the  Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.&amp;#8221;