Early Christianity, Terracotta Chalice, 1000 BC-33 AD In Christian tradition, the Holy Chalice is the vessel which Jesus used at the Last Supper to serve the wine. New Testament texts make no mention of the cup except within the context of the Last Supper and give no significance whatsoever to the object itself. An entirely different and pervasive tradition concerns the cup of the Last Supper. In this highly muddled though better-known version, the vessel is known as the Holy Grail. In this legend, Jesus used the cup at the Last Supper to institute the Mass. Other stories claim that Joseph of Arimathea used the cup to collect and store the blood of Christ at the Crucifixion. In Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism, all communicants receive both the Body of Christ and the Blood of Christ. To accomplish this, a portion of the Lamb (host) is placed in the chalice, and then the faithful receive Communion on a spoon. For this reason, eastern chalices tend to have larger, rounded cups. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the faithful will often kiss the "foot" (base) of the chalice after receiving Holy Communion. In other traditions, they will kiss the cup. Although Orthodox monks are not permitted to hold personal possessions, the canons permit a hieromonk (i.e., a monk who has been ordained to the priesthood) to keep a chalice and other vessels necessary to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. The chalice is considered to be one of the most sacred vessels in Christian liturgical worship, and it is often blessed before use. In the Roman Catholic Church and some Anglo-Catholic churches, it was the custom for a chalice to be consecrated by being anointed with chrism, and this consecration could only be performed by a bishop or abbot (only for use within his own monastery).[3] Among the Eastern Churches, there are varying practices regarding blessing. In some traditions, the very act of celebrating the Sacred Mysteries (Eucharist) is the only blessing necessary; in others, there is a special rite of blessing. In some Eastern traditions, this blessing may be done only by a bishop, in some it may be done by a priest. In any case, in both the East and the West, once a chalice has been blessed, it may only be touched by an ordained member of the higher clergy (bishop, priest or deacon). In the Russian Orthodox Church, a subdeacon is permitted to touch the holy vessels, but only if they are wrapped in cloth. Age: 1st millennium B.C. With broad base, balustered column with gusseted moulding, shallow bowl and broad flange rim. On the upper part of chalice and on the base - there are painted faded black decorations in the shape of leaves. Weight: 1.210 kg, 2 lb. 10.7 oz. Height: 18.3 cm = 7.2 inches; Upper diameter: 17 cm = 6.7 inches; Base diameter: 16.9 cm = 6.7 inches; Condition: genuine old terracotta, no major defects. Look at the photos, please. Provenance: Ex property of a North London, UK, gentleman, 1990’s.