Wooden chalice and diskos set. Turned maple, stone inserts and sterling silver

Recently I had the chance of making a wooden chalice and diskos set for a priest.  It was quite an interesting undertaking as it required a woodturner, a silversmith and myself to bring the whole thing together.   Interestingly enough, the order for this set came as I was working on another wooden chalice, making stone roundels for a chalice designed by Andrew Gould of New World Byzantine.  Wooden chalices were at one point quite common in Russian villages, where they were often painted with icons.   Andrew’s design captures the simplicity of these chalices while adding a touch of bold sophistication.   In my own design I opted for some ornamentation carved into the wood and a longer shape for the cup as I was recycling an already existing silver cup rather than designing it from scratch.  It is fascinating to look at both designs to see how the same concept can yield such different final impressions.

Top view of the set

Diskos shown with the silver star and the carved pattern I put into the plate.

Close-up of the back of the cup with a pattern carved into the maple.

Wooden chalice designed by Andrew Gould of New World Byzantine.

Stone roundels inserted into the wooden base of the chalice

The roundel in the cup is of St-Jacob of Alaska

Traditional Russian Calice in wood with a painted icon of Christ

My first wooden chalice design. You can see how the shape of the wooden cup was changed in the final product in order to accommodate the shape of the silver cup which had been recycled from a preexisting wine goblet. Also, I finally opted for an icon of the Theotokos rather tan a cross for the base.