Historic Napoleon III Antique 2 Color Silver Chalice. France, 19th Century

Historic antique silver chalice of 2 colors, gilded silver and silver in its color, donated by Napoleon the 3rd and made in France in the 19th century. This is a museum-quality item, worthy to belong to a museum of sacred metalwork, with the mark of the prestigious goldsmith Armand Caillat and its storing case. It comes with a silver paten but this piece was not made by Caillat. At the foot, the chalice bears the following engraved inscription: Donated by His Majesty (S.M. Sa Majesté) Napoleon III to St. Auban church, which turns it into a historic and very special piece. The whole chalice is made of silver; its decoration combines gold-plated parts and lean silver parts which make up an original and attractive finish. The chalices base is circular in shape and bears an engraved motif of long leaves with their ends pointing to the edge. The leaves get narrower as they approach the stem and provide the foot with a fluid and balanced design. Between them we can see a series of stylish symmetrical abstract motifs. At the stem, the main node is shaped as a bulb and is divided in gilded and non-gilded sections. The cup is made of non-gilded silver, with gilded edge and fitting into an elegant flower-shaped sub-cup. Just by the edge it bears the hallmark of French silver pieces and the silversmiths mark, Armand Calliat. The silvers mark can also be seen at the chalices foot and in the paten; this piece is decorated with a hand-engraved Crismon and the Greek Alpha and Omega letters. This historic antique gold-plated silver chalice, donated by Napoleon the 3rd and in amazing condition, is a real collectors piece which will stand out in any place or during the celebration of the Eucharist. Dimensions: Chalice: Foots Width: 5.91 in / 15cm. Cups Width: 3.54 in / 9 cm. Height: 9.45 in 24 cm. Weight: 563 g. Paten: Diameter: 5.71 in / 14 cm. Weight: 90 g.Armand Caillat - History Armand Caillat was a renowned French goldsmith who worked during the second half of the 19th century. Originally his name was Thomas-Joseph Armand, but after marrying the daughter of the goldsmith Françoise Caillat he adopted his name, and in 1853 took over the family business. Under his authority, the company grew exponentially and in 1885 it already employed 40 workers. During his first years as a goldsmith, Caillat made many pieces of clear Neo-Gothic inspiration. In 1885 he shows an interest for the symbolist school, and from 1888 to his death he studied the use of new materials such as ivory. In that period, he was the only goldsmith from Lyon whose work was recognized in Paris. He was awarded many national and international prizes and worked for the poles Pius the Ninth and Leon the Thirteenth. Currently, many of his works are part of the treasures and collections of relevant churches and museums, among them the Vatican Museums.