Extraordinary Antique Silver, Gold and Gold-Plated Silver Chalice. Diamond. Spain, 1900

Extraordinary antique silver, gold and gold-plated silver chalice with central diamond, made in Spain in 1900 by the goldsmith Emilio Bacariza. This artist and artisan had his workshop at the Rúa del Villar, 58, in Santiago de Compostela (Spain). His impressive talent and skill are patent in this spectacular piece, which stands out for its delicate making and the elegant use of valuable materials. The chalice comes with a simple paten, made of gold-plated silver and with no decoration at all. The chalices foot is divided in six pointed-shaped sections, with a fine medieval-inspired design and decorated with handmade gold embossed details. Over a silver background with volutes we can see six symbols related to the Crucifixion and the Martyrdom of Christ. The main symbol, the Sacred Heart, bears an embedded big-sized pink diamond, hand-cut and oval-shaped. The rest of the motifs (the vase, the martyrdom column, the crown of thorns with the lances, the ladder with the lance and the sponge, the pliers with the hammer) stand out for delicate and fine making; some of them are adorned with natural pearls and real turquoises. Over the foot we can see one of the most remarkable parts of the piece: the stem, shaped as a cage and with a gorgeous figure inside depicting a bird-of-paradise sitting on a branch. The bird is embellished with blue and red enamel; we can distinguish each one of the feathers, a detail that reveals the artists enormous skill and talent. The figure of the bird is sitting among six stylized vertical columns which create a temple-shaped cage. This cage stands on a secondary node decorate with hand-engraved flowers. The cup that crowns the chalice is made of gold-plated silver and fits into a fine sub-cup with a medieval-inspired decoration, similar to that of the foot, with embossed symmetrical flowers and leaves on a textured background. At the chalices foot we can see the silversmiths hallmark, EMILIO BACARIZA, and the mark 11D, both clearly stamped on the silver. In general, this amazing chalice is an authors piece with an original unique design and of an uncommon quality. Every lover of sacred art pieces and ancient silver will recognize a real jewel in this extraordinary antique silver, gold and gold-plated chalice with central diamond, signed by a famous Spanish goldsmith and in superb condition. Dimensions: Chalice: Foots Width: 6.1 in / 15.5 cm. Cups Width: 3.25 in / 8 cm. Height: 10.24 in / 26 cm. Weight: 745 g. Paten: Diameter: 5.51 in / 14 cm. Weight: 95 g.