The "Jasper" of the Vatopedi Monastery, second half of the 14th century

One of the most important relics of the Vatopedi Monastery, and also one of the best examples of Byzantine miniature art, is the famous "Jaspis". This is a Holy Chalice that has a chalice made of jasper, the material to which it owes its name. The chalice is shaped like a cup and its wide rim has a silver-gilt covering, on which is engraved a large-letter inscription with the thanksgiving prayer from the Liturgy of Basil the Great "+he gave it to his holy disciples and apostles, saying, drink of it, all of you; this is my blood, that of the New Testament, which is poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins". The foot of the chalice is divided into two parts by a polygonal knot in the middle of its height, consisting of three zones of space. The partitions of the middle zone are decorated with medallions, in which mythical animals in the form of lion-shaped dragons and cross-shaped arrows are alternately enclosed. The handles that connect the rim with the knot of the foot are also dragon-shaped. The dragons, rather Gothic elements, have closed wings and an elegant long tail that ends in a second head. The depth of the polygonal knot and the base is covered by helical shoots with succulent leaves or flowers, rendered in low relief, and by numerous moments that help to highlight the themes. The trapezoidal compartments of the base bear within medallions alternating busts of hierarchs and a complex of four monograms, on the basis of which the Holy Chalice is attributed to the despot of Mystras Manuel Kantakouzenos Palaiologos (1349-1380). According to tradition, the “Jaspis” was later donated to the Vatopedi Monastery by the son of the despot of Thessaloniki, Andronikos Palaiologos (1408-1423). The decoration of this masterpiece clearly shows Western influences. The shape of the chalice and certain traditions, which connect it with healings from specimens of poisonous reptiles, refer to an older, secular use of the object.