Objects

Kiddush cup

Silver, partly gold-plated (on the inner part) kiddush cup with the following dimensions: height – 9 cm high and 5.5 cm, with a circular, profiled foot. The foot, decorated with string ornament, tapers upwards. The slightly bulging cup on top also features a string ornament and tapering towards the top.

The main part of the mug on one side is decorated with a decoration in the form of an irregular field with rocaille motifs and stylised leaves, and a curved lily branch with a flower and buds at the bottom. On the other side of the cup is the decorative monogram "EW" with the date "17/4 1906 in italics above it. All this probably commemorates the celebration for which the cup was created. It could have been, for example, a bar mitzvah (Hebrew for "son of the commandment") – the acceptance of a boy after his thirteenth birthday into the religious community of adult Jews.

On the underside of the cup there are goldsmith's marks: in the circular field, the so-called subsidiary hallmark with a head in profile and initials (illegible); in the oval field, a head in a kokoshnik and the silver hallmark "84" (mass expressed in zolotniks, a measure unit used in Russia for silver products made between 1896 and 1908) stamped in negative – the so-called main hallmark; the initials of the head of the assay office are illegible; a large goldsmith's name mark "A.Φ" in Cyrillic script in an oval field.

Kiddush cups (goblets, glasses) are vessels for red wine used in homes for ritual purposes on the occasion of Jewish festivals and rituals, usually on the evening before Shabbat. The master of the house, starting the festive season, would recite kiddush (Hebrew: "sanctification"; Yiddish: kiddesh) over a cup of sweet red wine in the presence of the whole family. He would then drink much of the wine and share the rest with his household and guests. Depending on the wealth of the family, the cup could take the form of a goblet, a cup or even a glass or metal mug.

The item has been in the Museum's collection since 1971. It underwent conservation in 2021.

czytaj więcej
Information about the object
Author / creator
unknown
Object type
handicrafts
Place of creation
Europe
Technique
metallurgical
galvanisation
forming
Material
silver
gold
Keywords
Copyright status
the object is not protected by copyright law
Owner
Muzeum Okręgowe Ziemi Kaliskiej
Identification number
MOZK/S/575