The Agate Bowl (german: Achatschale) is a

hardstone carving Hardstone carving is a general term in art history and archaeology for the artistic carving of predominantly semi-precious stones (but also of gemstones), such as jade, rock crystal (clear quartz), agate, onyx, jasper, serpentinite, or carnelian, ...

in the shape of a bowl cut out of a single piece of

agate Agate () is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components, with a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. The ornamental use of agate was common in Ancie ...

, possibly in the fourth century at the court of

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

, and now displayed in the Imperial Treasury at the

Hofburg Palace The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn ...

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Austria.Leithe-Jasper 2004, p. 36. For centuries it was widely regarded as the "greatest masterpiece" and the "best and most important piece" in the collection.Kunsthistorisches Museum 1991, pp. 111–14. In 1564, Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian II and his brothers declared it by deed to be an "inalienable heirloom of the house of Austria". They valued this ancient precious stone carving, not just for its craftsmanship, but for a "natural miracle" in the stone itself that reveals a mysterious inscription—the name ''XRISTO'' (''Christ'') at the bottom of the bowl within the grain of the stone. It is now generally believed that the inscription inspired the legend that the bowl was the

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...

. The Agate Bowl is the largest carved stone bowl in the world.

Description

The Agate Bowl is 76 cm (30 in) wide including the handles. The bowl is cut from a single, massive block of

, the largest carved stone bowl in the world.

History

The Agate Bowl dates from the fourth century and is believed to have been created at the court of

. Its first documented reference is in a deed from 1564 written by Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian II and his brothers, declaring the bowl to be an "inalienable heirloom of the house of Austria", to be owned by the entire

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

. In 1619, an inventory of the estate of Holy Roman Emperor

Matthias Matthias is a name derived from the Greek Ματθαίος, in origin similar to Matthew. People Notable people named Matthias include the following: In religion: * Saint Matthias, chosen as an apostle in Acts 1:21–26 to replace Judas Iscariot * ...

records, "the word KRISTO is to be seen in quite large letters in the nature of the stone". From the seventeenth to the twentieth century, documented descriptions of an inscription ''B.XRISTO.RI.XXPP'' was seen as a reference to

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

. Because the writing seemed to be neither painted nor carved in the bowl, but appeared in the natural veining of the stone itself, the Agate Bowl was regarded a relic, even considered to be the

. In 1951, after the relic was

restored ''Restored'' is the fourth studio album by American contemporary Christian music musician Jeremy Camp. It was released on November 16, 2004 by BEC Recordings. Track listing Standard release Enhanced edition Deluxe gold edition Standard ...

, the inscription was reinterpreted by art historian Rudolf Egger to read ''ARISTO'', the name of the stone cutter. Others believe the inscription is in fact an optical illusion.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * *

External links

Austria Info

Just Vienna

Kunsthistorisches Museum Secular Treasury

Kunsthistorisches Museum Ecclesiastical Treasury

Visiting Vienna
{{coord, 48, 12, 24, N, 16, 21, 56, E, display=title, region:AT-9_type:landmark_source:dewiki Byzantine art 4th-century artifacts Relics Individual hardstone carvings Imperial Treasury, Vienna