rock crystal vase
Illustration — The Eleanor of Aquitaine vase, in the Louvre, Paris. Vases and ewers made of rock crystal were rare, expensive, and usually decorated with gold and gemstones. They are a type of hardstone carving.
rock crystal vase
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Illustration — The Eleanor of Aquitaine vase, in the Louvre, Paris. Vases and ewers made of rock crystal were rare, expensive, and usually decorated with gold and gemstones. They are a type of hardstone carving.
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Eleanor of Aquitaine's vase
Eleanor of Aquitaine's vase
They were a specialty of Fatimid art and were often used by royalty in Europe.
A rock crystal vase with honeycomb decoration that probably originated from either the Sassanid (6th–7th century) or post-Sassanid (9th–10th century) period was given to Duke William IX of Aquitaine (the Troubadour) by a Muslim ally (Abd al-Malik Imad ad-Dawla, referred to in Latinised form as Mitadolus on the inscription). When William IX's granddaughter Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine married King Louis VII of France in 1137, she gave him the rock crystal vase as a wedding present. The inscription finally says that the king gave it to Suger, who in turn offered it to the saints, to be kept at the Abbey of St.-Denis which he had rebuilt. The vase is now in the Louvre in Paris, and is the only artefact of Eleanor's known to exist today.
Mary I and Philip II's vase
Mary I and Philip II's vase
Another was a crystal and gold posset that the Spanish ambassador gave Queen Mary I of England and Philip of Spain as a betrothal gift. It was made by Benvenuto Cellini and the whole set is now on display at Hatfield House in England.
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- “Rock crystal vase”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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- Wikidata, structured authority record Q7354792: rock crystal vase
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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