Skip to main content

Primary sourceArtifactc. 600 (object), given in the 12th century

Crystal Vase of Eleanor of Aquitaine

c. 600 (object), given in the 12th century

A rock-crystal vase, the only object known to have been owned by Eleanor of Aquitaine, which she gave as a wedding gift to Louis VII.

The only object known to have been personally owned by Eleanor, documenting her wealth and gift to Louis VII.

Ask Eleanor of Aquitaine about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
A rock crystal vase with a textured, faceted glass body set in gilded metal mounts decorated with filigree, blue and purple gemstones, and an inscription band around the foot. Displayed on a pale green surface in a museum.
Rock-crystal vase of Eleanor of Aquitaine, c. 600. Louvre, Paris.

About this source

What it is

This is a rock-crystal vase set in gilded, gem-decorated metal mounts, made around the 6th century but owned much later by Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is kept today in the Department of Decorative Arts of the Louvre.

Why it matters

Eleanor gave this vase to her husband Louis VII as a wedding gift, and he in turn gave it to the abbey of Saint-Denis. Its inscription names her as the donor, making it rare physical proof of her wealth and her connections to powerful figures such as Abbot Suger, who oversaw Saint-Denis. It is the only surviving object we know for certain she once owned.

Look closer

  • What does the inscription on the vase tell us that an undecorated object could not?
  • Why might Eleanor have chosen such an old and valuable object as a wedding gift?
  • What does the vase's journey from Eleanor to Louis VII to Saint-Denis reveal about how gifts worked in royal and religious life?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Eleanor of Aquitaine on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Eleanor of Aquitaine sources

Meet the AI Eleanor of Aquitaine →
Close view of a recumbent stone effigy with painted surfaces. A carved hand holds an open book, and a carved head rests on a pillow with a cushion-like support behind it. Dark background.Sculpture

Primary source

Grave of Eleanor of Aquitaine

Close-up detail of a stained-glass window in red, gold, white and blue glass with black lead lines. Centre shows a pale face with dark outlined eyes, brow and mouth, framed by a white garment. Gold-painted figure visible at left.Artifact

Primary source

Crucifixion Window of Poitiers Cathedral

c. 1165-1170

Medieval manuscript page with a painted illumination: a woman in a blue robe with a gold belt stands within a gold-leafed arch framed in blue, raising one hand, beneath a red and blue building and red brick towers. Page number 56 at top left.Book

Primary source

Psalter of Eleanor of Aquitaine

c. 1180

Aerial oblique view of the Fontevraud Abbey complex: a large monastic building with steep slate roofs, a tall white stone tower on the left, a green cloister garden in the center, surrounded by outbuildings, walls, trees and a paved courtyard.Artifact

Primary source

Royal Abbey of Fontevraud

Robert of Arbrissel · founded 1101

Two painted stone effigies lying side by side on a tomb in a church. The figure on the left wears a veil and holds an open book. The figure on the right wears a crown and rests its head on a stone cushion. Both have traces of red and blue paint.Sculpture

Secondary source

Tomb Effigy of Henry II at Fontevraud

c. 1200

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Eleanor of Aquitaine now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions