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Primary sourceArtifactbefore 1147 (mount)

Vase of Eleanor of Aquitaine

before 1147 (mount)

A rock crystal vase with gilded silver mounts, once owned by Eleanor and given by her to the abbey of Saint-Denis.

This vase was owned by Eleanor and given by her to the Abbey of Saint-Denis, linking the object directly to her life.

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Photograph of a rock crystal vase with gilded silver mounts set with cabochon gemstones and pearls, standing on a white display surface in a museum case. The lower bulb is textured crystal, and the base bears an engraved inscription.
Vase of Eleanor of Aquitaine, rock crystal and gilded silver, before 1147 (mount). Musée du Louvre, MR 340.

About this source

What it is

This rock crystal vase, mounted in gilded silver and set with gemstones and pearls, dates from around the 6th or 7th century for the crystal body, with the decorative mount added before 1147. It came from the treasury of the Abbey of Saint-Denis and is now in the Louvre Museum.

Why it matters

The vase is linked directly to Eleanor of Aquitaine, who owned it and gave it as a gift. It is one of the rare surviving objects connected to her personally, showing the wealth and taste of the Aquitaine court and the practice of giving precious objects to religious institutions.

Look closer

  • What materials and craftsmanship can you identify, and what do they suggest about the vase's value?
  • Why might Eleanor have chosen to give this object to an abbey?
  • What does the long history of the vase — from its ancient crystal body to its medieval mount — tell us about how objects can be reused and re-valued?

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.

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