These objects, crafted by the goldsmith Jean Masse (1627-1714), enrich the collections of the Musée du Grand Siècle. The acquisition was made possible through the exercise of the State's right of pre-emption.
The chalice features a base adorned with finely chiseled pearl and leaf motifs, and a central knot decorated with angel heads and stylized vegetal patterns. Its gilded interior cup screws onto the stem. The paten is engraved with the christogram IHS and also gilded on its reverse side.
Both items are marked with the jurande hallmark of the letter-date 'P', corresponding to the period 1684-1685. This hallmark was applied by the sworn members of the goldsmiths' guild to guarantee the purity of precious metal alloys.
This liturgical set is a rare testament to the objects from this period that survived the meltings ordered by Louis XIV in December 1689 to finance the war against the League of Augsburg. It also highlights the importance of the host and wine in religious practice at the time, particularly in the context of reaffirming the Mass and the Eucharist as moments of transubstantiation and manifestation of Christ's real presence in the consecrated species.
