historiated:Chalice of Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis; sardonyx cup dating to the 1st or 2nd C. BCE, mou
historiated:Chalice of Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis; sardonyx cup dating to the 1st or 2nd C. BCE, mounting, gilding, and ornamentation from 1137-1140. I saw this in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC this summer, and it is honestly one of the most beautiful objects I have ever seen. Not to mention the fact that it belonged to Abbot Suger, the man who commissioned and directed the building of the first completely Gothic structure, the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis, near Paris, France. The extensive ornamentation of this chalice may reflect Suger’s belief that beautiful art objects reflect the glory of God. -- source link