This luxurious chalice was a gift to Sinai by King Charles VI of France (1380-1422) according to an inscription in Latin and Greek, and it reflects the fervor with which Christians venerated Saint Catherine in the West. It is an elegantly proportioned work of art, adorned with engraved scenes painted over with translucent colored enamels; the scenes include busts of Christ and the apostles on the stem knop, and the Crucifixion and the King’s coat of arms on the base. The finesse and quality of the engraved scenes, and the multiple fleurs-de-lis symmetrically arranged on its surface, are characteristic of French gold-work of the second half of the fourteenth century. Finally, the seals under the base explicitly identify this item as the product of a Parisian workshop.
