Ardagh Jewelry

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One of the finest treasures of the early Irish Church is the Ardagh Chalice. It was discovered in the nineteenth century by a young man digging for potatoes close to Ardagh, County Limerick. During Mass, it was utilized to dispense the Eucharistic wine. The chalice's shape is reminiscent of late Roman tableware, although it was made using Irish construction techniques. The chalice's foot and bowl are constructed from spun silver. The bowl's exterior has applied gold, silver, glass, amber, and enamel ornamentation. A polished rock crystal sits in the middle of the elaborately adorned bottom of the foot. A bronze pin holds the bowl to the stem and foot of the vase. Below the band of gold filigree and studs encircling the bowl are inscriptions with the names of St. Paul and the other ten apostles. The background is stippled, making the letters stand out. Below two handle escutcheons that are embellished with elaborate glass studs and filigree panels, there are two additional areas with incised animal ornamentation. The Tara Brooch and the Derrynaflan Paten can be likened to the Ardagh Chalice in this way as both represent the pinnacle of early medieval artistry.