English: Chalice designed by William Butterfield, 1856-1857 (hallmarked) V&A Museum no. CIRC.521-1962

Techniques - Silver with gilding, set with semi-precious stones

Artist/designer - Butterfield, William, born 07/09/1814 - died 23/02/1900 (designer) Keith, John, active about 1824

Place - London, England

Dimensions - Height 24.2 cm Diameter 15.2 cm

Object Type - A chalice is a cup used to contain wine at the most important act of worship of the Christian Church, the Holy Communion or Mass. This richly decorated chalice is in the Gothic style promoted by the architect A.W.N. Pugin and the Cambridge Camden Society ( later the Ecclesiological Society ). The architect, William Butterfield who designed the chalice, was often quite original in his interpretation of the Gothic style, as the elaborate patterning of the coloured stones shows.

People - William Butterfield (1814-1900), the designer of this chalice, trained as an architect and was appointed to supervise the Cambridge Camden Society's new scheme for the manufacture of church plate and furnishings in 1843. This chalice was made under the scheme by the official silversmith to the society, John Keith & Son. Henry Woodyer, the architect of the convent for which the chalice was commissioned, was a pupil of William Butterfield.

Places - The chalice was made for use at the House of Mercy convent ( now called the Convent of St John the Baptist ) at Clewer in Berkshire. It was presented by Sister Elisabeth Morton, in the year after she took her vows as a nun, to be used in the new chapel that she had funded. The designer and architectural historian, Nicholas Pevsner, described the architectural style of the convent as 'joyless Gothic'.

Source: http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/page/Home.html