The Chalice of Chance – A Relic of Smethwick
A relic of experimentation and uncertainty
Like many Black Country towns Smethwick had several companies making leaps forward in industry. The Chance Brothers glassworks was one such place, developing new types of glass such as the opaque panes used for the face of Big Ben and techniques that enabled such designs as the ‘Handkerchief Vase’.
Here turned into a drinking vessel, the chalice become a item of uncertainty. It could be a means of diving true intent – to successfully drink from the chalice after making a statement or pledge would prove fidelity. It is also, as it’s progenitors names suggest, a game of chance.
The Chalice of Chance is made from a Chance Brothers vase on silver settings with a small royal blue sapphire embedded deep within.
The Chalice of Chance aims to be a symbol of experimentation, fidelity and coping with the unexpected.