Objects

Kiddush cup

The silver kiddush cup from the collection of the District Museum in Tarnów has the shape of an inverted, truncated cone, gilded inside, on a low plinth. The mantle is engraved with the motif of an Art Nouveau ribbon decorated with symmetrical flowers. Two goldsmith's marks are stamped on the underside: 1. the Austrian Assay Office in Kraków for silver fineness of "3"; 2. goldsmith's name mark "EK" in overlapping circles.The edge of the cup is slightly deformed, small dents on the bottom and on the mantle testify to its unfortunate storage.

Kiddush ("sanctification") is a short ceremony involving the recitation of a prayer over a cup of wine during the evening beginning the Sabbath and other holidays. It is said by the master of the house in the presence of the entire family, immediately after returning from the synagogue, before the evening meal, and repeated the following morning. The prayer consists of two blessings: one over wine, the other over the Sabbath or other holidays. Specially designed chalices or cups are used to perform kiddush.

The cup, along with other silverware (glasses and cups), was found in the basement of the museum building at 20 Rynek Street (currently housing the Museum of the History of Tarnów and the Region) during renovation works carried out in 1971–1975. It was probably hidden in this place during World War II. Its original origin is unknown. In 1973, the object was donated to the District Museum in Tarnów by the Municipal and District Civic Militia Headquarters in Tarnów.

Barbara Bułdys

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Information about the object
Author / creator
K[…], E[…] (act. ca. 1900)
Object type
handicrafts
Time of creation / dating
19th/20th century
Place of creation
Kraków (Małopolskie Province)
Technique
forming
gilding
engraving
Material
silver
gold
Keywords
Copyrights status
the object is not protected by copyright law
Owner
Museum of Tarnów Land
Identification number
MT.IV.1676