Obj. ID: 35765 Synagogue Kiddush cup, Czech Republic, 1812
sub-set tree:
The following description was prepared by William Gross: The sanctification of the Shabbat and Holidays is connected with a blessing recited over wine or grape juice. While the wine can be drunk from any vessel, often special cups are created for the purpose. In most cases, regular cups are simply decorated or inscribed with names or blessings, rendering them exclusively for the Kiddush.
This Kiddush cup is of an unusual chalice design, a type not often used in Jewish ritual and more regularly seen in church usage. The long dedication from the year 1812 links it to a silver plate in the Gross Family Collection, 022.001.002. According to the inscription on that plate, it was originally dedicated to a synagogue in 1802 and "renewed" in 1812. It is probable that the "renewal" was the forming of a raised circle in the middle of the plate into a shape exactly like the diameter of this cup’s base. They were made to go together, the cup nestling perfectly in the middle of the plate. Such a large combination was undoubtedly for synagogue use and would have made an impressive sight for the congregation during the blessing over the wine during the Sabbath, holidays, and special ceremonies. The beautifully engraved inscription records the names of both the donors and the probable place of the gift.
Inscription: This Was Given by Moshe Bleidhorn, Son of Yehudah Leib, of Blessed Memory, from Albersdorf, with His Wife Channah, the Daughter of the Teacher, Moshe Bashan, in the Year 5572 (1812), According to the Minor Reckoning.