Communion chalice

Caspar Gschwandtner, Prague, Bohemia, ca. 1756

Hammered enchased silver, gilt.

H: 27.9 cm

Markings: Prague hallmark and workmaster’s mark “CG” on foot

UMP 4286

With its complex composition and form modelled from relief rocailles and scalloping, this chalice represents a prime example of Gschwandtner’s Rococo repoussage, communion chalices, and monstrances dating from after 1750. Designed with an emphasis on decorativeness, the base and cup of the chalice are decorated with the Eucharistic symbols of grain and grapes.

Caspar Georg Gschwandtner (1708–1765) was a main figure in Bohemian Rococo goldsmithing. A native of Tergessel, Upper Austria, he apprenticed as a goldsmith in Vienna before moving to Prague in 1732, where he was an active journeyman. In 1738 joined the Old Town Guild of Goldsmiths and worked his way up to become a noted member. His broad range of goldsmithing and jewellery work includes chalices, monstrances, and other valuables for churches and monasteries in Prague and throughout the Bohemian countryside.

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