In Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and many other denominations of the Christian faith, a chalice is a cup used to hold sacramental wine during significant ceremonies such as the Holy Communion. Due to its religious significance, this chalice is usually made from silver or gold. The base of a Communion chalice often features some form of decoration. Sometimes, chalices or patens are presented as gifts to newly-ordained priests to represent their new titles and responsibilities. Traditionally, everyone partaking in Communion drank from the same Communion chalice. This highlights the importance of the piece for those with religious inclinations. The chalice, being used in Communion, represents the communion between Catholic Christians and their God.

For a vessel to be considered a chalice in the eyes of the Christian church, it often has to be blessed first. In the Roman Catholic church and some Anglo-Catholic churches, it was the custom for a chalice to be consecrated by a bishop or abbot.

Occasionally, without any evidence of religious decoration or ornamentation, we are able to decipher that a vessel would be considered a chalice rather than a goblet due to the style of the piece. Often a large, wider base signifies that it was used by many as part of a religious ceremony, furthermore the shape of the cup also indicates it’s use; a more square or triangular shape is more likely to be an attribute of a chalice, whereas often a goblet will have a more rounded, graduating form between the stem and the lip of the cup.

Common decoration for Communion chalices includes crosses and crucifixes. More elaborate examples of the Communion chalice feature etched decoration and even gemstones around the base. Enamel is also featured as a form of decoration, depicting Biblical scenes such as the last supper. Chalices of this kind can be categorised through a variety of their features and uses.

- Sacri o Sancti: denotes if a chalice is used for consecration or not
- Maoires o Minores: denotes is a chalice is large or small
- Offertorii: denotes if a chalice is intended to hold consecrated wine
- Ministeriales: denotes if a chalice distributes Communion to worshippers
- Stationales: denotes if a chalice is used for station rites purposes
- Quotidiani: denotes if a chalice if intended for daily use
- Pendentiles o Appensorii: denotes if a chalice is used or is simply practical
- Ad Beptismum: denotes if a chalice is intended to be used by new Christians.