The Royal Gold Cup
- Audio guide stop: 505
- Gallery: Room 40
- Culture: Late Medieval
- Made in: France
- Date: 1370-1380 (circa)
- Object type: cup
- Materials: gold; enamel; pearl
- Museum number: 1892,0501.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is The Royal Gold Cup, a remarkable Late Medieval artifact crafted in France around 1370–1380. Made of solid gold and adorned with vibrant enamel, this intricate cup includes a bowl, lid, and stem. At first glance, you’ll notice the lid is decorated with scenes centered on the story of St. Agnes, a young Christian martyr. Her story unfolds in a series of delicately painted enamel scenes leading to her martyrdom.
The bowl continues the narrative after her death, including her miracles and the martyrdom of her companion, St. Emerentiana. Inside the lid is a medallion of Christ blessing, while the bowl’s base holds St. Agnes receiving instruction at school. The stem is richly decorated with symbols of the Four Evangelists and their scrolls.
This piece is not only a visual feast but a reflection of Gothic artistry and religious devotion of its time.
See it in person
The Royal Gold Cup is on display in Room 40 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 505, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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