MASTER ALPAIS
(active 1180-1200 in Limoges)

Ciborium

c. 1180
Gilt, engraved, and chiseled copper, height 30 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

An ancient tradition has it that this ciborium was found at Montmajour, near Arles in the tomb of Bertrand de Maisang, the abbot of Montmajour, who died in 1316. The ciborium is one of the most famous works made by the enamellers of Limoges and bears an inscription showing that it was made in Limoges and giving the maker's name, key elements in the history of Limoges enamel. Its technical perfection and style make it a masterpiece of the 1200s.