Born in Germany, Jules Wièse moved to Paris and joined the workshop of François-Désiré Froment-Meurice in 1839. He famously collaborated on the workshop's most famous pieces including the Coupe des Vendanges dated 1844 (Musée du Louvre), the pair of candelabrum for the Duc de Luynes in 1846 (Musée du Louvre) and the stunning flask made for the 1851 Great Exhibition (Victoria and Albert Museum). He began exhibiting under his own name at the Paris World Fair of 1855 where he presented a ciborium made for Pope Pius IX.

Between this date and the Paris World Fair of 1867 Wièse was the most famous designer and chiseler of important lithurgical objects. His commissions included the crozier for the Archbishop of Friburg (1856), the reliquary for the Talisman of Charlemagne commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III (1858), the ceremonial sword of Patrice de Mac-Mahon, Marshal of France (1860) and the monstrance made for Emperor Maximilien of Mexico (1865).

Our cup and its charger were probably made for an important religious commission. They bear many esthetic similarities with the Charlemagne reliquary, currently in the collection of the Palais du Tau, Reims and the only other known religious piece made by Wièse in the neo-byzantine style. The colors and technique of the enamelling are remarkably close, as is the use of the chrysoprase and garnet stones. The byzantine or iznik influence became quite popular during the 1862

London International Exhibition before being quickly superseded by Japonism at the end of the 1860’s. Our chalice and paten were probably made in the aftermath of the London exhibition. A very similar cup made by Emile-Désiré Philippe

and dated 1865 was given to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs that same year. Philippe was a pupil of Wièse and a very talented enameller. It is more than likely that he collaborated in the making of our chalice, in the same way that Wièse had

worked during so many years in the shadow of his mentor Froment-Meurice.