Art: Chalice in Brooklyn

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And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, "which is shed for many for the remission of sins.—Matthew XXVI, 27-8.

Nowhere in or out of the Bible is there to be found a better description of the Cup of the Last Supper. For a thousand years that drinking vessel has been the object of pious search, the subject of revered romance, throughout the Christian world. Quietly on view in the Brooklyn Museum last week went a great egg-shaped goblet which hundreds of devout folk believe to be the Holy Grail itself. Though in all historical accuracy it probably is no such thing, it is certainly one of the oldest pieces of Christian art extant.

With a capacity of two and a half quarts, the crude cup is of silver and devoid of ornament. Its rim has been turned to make a smooth surface for drinking. It rests in a loose silver filigree holder of elaborate workmanship which shows, in a framework of vine leaves, birds and flowers, two figures of the youthful and the mature Christ and ten Apostles and Saints. All the faces are individual portraits. Though there is no way of dating the inner cup, most experts seem to agree that the large outer holder was made not later than the last half of the First Century.

Owner of this ancient treasure is a Syrian antique dealer named Fahim Joseph Kouchakji, who is careful not to claim too much for his cup. As exhibited last week, it is referred to only as the Great Chalice of Antioch, but Mr. Kouchakji has published at his own expense a vast two-volume monograph by famed Antiquary Gustavus Augustus Eisen, which gives the reader much to think about.