Glass said to belong to Charlemagne.
Enamelled and gilded glass (goblet), Syria, first half of the 13th century. Copper (foot), France, 14th century.
© Ville de Chartres – Musée des Beaux-Arts
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This so-called Charlemagne glass was made four centuries after of the time Charlemagne, who therefore never knew it. It is a re-use of a glass made in Syria, to which a metal foot was added. It was then used as a chalice, a cup from which a priest drinks wine during mass.
The name Charlemagne has been associated with this object, probably because of its great beauty and oriental origins. As the emperor received gifts from this part of the world, someone must have thought: ‘What a beautiful object! This glass is worthy of Charlemagne’.