Terracotta Holy Grail/Graal Cup or Chalice(?), Near East, 2000 BC -33 AD (?) The Holy Chalice, also known as the Holy Grail, is in some Christian traditions the vessel that Jesus used at the Last Supper to share his blood. The Synoptic Gospels refer to Jesus sharing a cup of wine with the Apostles, saying it was the covenant in his blood. The use of wine and chalice in the Eucharist in Christian churches is based on the Last Supper event. In the late 12th century, the author Robert de Boron associated the pre-existing story of the Holy Grail, a magical item from Arthurian literature, with the Holy Chalice. This association was continued in many subsequent Arthurian works, including the Lancelot-Grail (Vulgate) cycle, the Post-Vulgate Cycle, and Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. A cup kept in the Spanish Cathedral of Valencia has been identified since medieval times as the purported Holy Chalice used at the Last Supper.[1] Some stories have attributed the Holy Grail to the cup of wine Jesus used during the last supper (Luke 22:20). Luke 22: 13-20. 13. They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 14. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17. After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19. And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.[a] 21. But the hand of him, who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” 23. They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. Others have placed the grail in the hands of Joseph of Arimathea, who according to legend, collected Jesus' blood in the grail while Jesus was on the cross, literalizing “this is my blood shed for you.” According to this version of the legend, Joseph is thrown in jail for collecting Jesus’ blood, and during his stay, Jesus expands upon the powerful properties of the grail. In jail, the grail provides for his biological needs. Supposedly from there, Joseph of Arimathea made a trek to the British Isles, where the grail was later housed and quested after by Arthur and his knights. And others have tied the grail to the cup offered to Jesus on the cross which had sour wine (Mark 15:23). According the old age (+2000 years), shape of drinking cup raised on a stem, geometrical design of brown and red decorations of the terracotta cup, - there is a small possible probability of being a Holy Grail (Graal) cup. It may also be used as a chalice (2000 BC-33 AD) in Jewish and Early Christianity practices. Description and condition: terracotta with broad flange rim, carinated sidewall, short stem and flared foot; circumferential painted bands; rim chipped. Weight: 427 gram, Height: 11 cm = 4.25 in. Provenance: Provenance: Private collection in London UK. Acquired in 1980-2015. This piece is from the Abelita Collection. The collection consisted of a large number of antiquities that the family sold before relocating to Southeast Asia.
