Rare "Safed" kiddush cup, late 19th century Poland/ Eretz ISRAEL

A RARE SILVER SHMIROT KIDDUSH CUP. Galician, c. 1850. Among some Hassidic courts, it was a practice for the Rabbi to give a blessed silver coin to his Hassidim as an amulet. Such protection might be given for all manner of life events, from healing from an illness to success in travel and the amulet was carried on the body of the recipient. This custom was particularly popular among the Ryzhiner Hassidim and these coins were called "Shmirot". To such coins were attributed extraordinary power and value and they were treasured with great care and love. this cup is marked with polish loth 12 mark which indicate silver content of 75%. Size : Height 2.3 inch / 6 cm Width : 2 inch / 5 cm After the specific event for which they had originally be given, such a coin or coins were used in the making of other objects, which maintained the special aura of the Rabbi. Such a coin would be melted in other silver with the amuletic valued being spread evenly to all the silver. Then a ritual object would be fashioned by a silversmith and the special nature of the item would be inscribed on it, indicating in one of several ways that this object had been made from "Shmirot". this objects include Kiddish cups, a Havdalah tray, a Shabbat salt holder, a Chanukkah Menorah, a Torah crown etc. This object is a Kiddish cup fashioned from such silver. On this cup, the inscription indicating Shmirot is found in the abbreviation of the words "made from shmirot k (kodesh)' " (This is the cup of Shmirot). Such cups were used for blessing the wine so that each use renewed the power of protection granted by the Rabbi. This cup was used for the blessing over wine on Shabbat and holidays. Inscription: the other iconography on the cup is of a lion that represent Through the tribe of Judah, the lion symbol came to represent the blessing, majesty, and even divine protection of the Jews. The lion symbol continued to be used even after the destruction of Jerusalem, the capital of Judah's nation, and a unicorn or a re'em, also reëm (Hebrew: רְאֵם), is an animal mentioned nine times in the Hebrew Bible It has been translated as "unicorn" in the Latin Vulgate, King James Version, and in some Christian Bible translations as "oryx" (which was accepted as the referent in Modern Hebrew),[citation needed] "wild ox", "wild bull", "buffalo" or "rhinoceros". Rabbi Natan Slifkin has argued that the re'em was an aurochs, as has Isaac Asimov...

This charming piece of jewish history in front of you is a one of kind modern Judaica object, This box used to hold the Etrog To protect the it during the holiday of Sukkot, it is traditionally Wrapped in silky flax fibers and stored in a special decorative box, mostly made from silver. Wolpert designed this amazing hand hammered Bauhaus style box in 1963-1964 while he was Working in New York. all of the boxes we could found from this design made by Wolpert have The upper part inscribed in a simple engraving with the phrase "Pri Etz Hadar" In Hebrew ״פרי עץ הדר״. the box in front of you is the only example in existence as far as we Know where the letters are also repoussé and also engraved, such a beautiful and hard to get Combination, the rest of the box is shaped as a modernistic Etrog, all the body of the box is Skillfully hand hammered in a way it reflects the light in a warm and calm way, a true Masterpiece of modern judaica by the great and important artist Ludwig Yehuda Wolpert. One of the the two great masters of 20th century Judaica. the Box is marked "WOLPERT" AND "STERLING" and the base has the engraved inscription : "ALAN WECHSLER GENERAL CHAIRMAN, ALLIED JEWISH APPEAL OF SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY 1978" Similar boxes can be find in museum collections around the world In the Jewish Museum New York In the North Carolina Museum of Art In The Derfner Judaica Museum Another similar box was featured in the Israel Museum exhibition "Forging Ahead, Wolpert and Gumbel, Israeli Silversmiths for the Modern Age" Ludwig Yehuda Wolpert was born in Hildesheim, Germany, to an Orthodox family. In 1916-1920, He began his studies in sculpture at the Frankfurt School of Art. In 1925-1928, he studied Goldsmithing at the Frankfurt School of Art. Following the presentation of the works in the 1930 exhibition "Kult und Form" ("Ritual and Form") at the Jewish Museum in Berlin, his works became well known in the German Jewish World. His works were greatly influenced by Modernist design, especially the Bauhaus Movement. Wolpert's works avoid decoration, relying on clean, geometric shapes. In 1933, Following the Nazi rise to power in Germany, he immigrated to the Mandatory Palestine with His family. There he worked for two years in the workshop of Bernhard Friedländer, where he Designed and produced silverware and Jewish ceremonial art.Together with Victor Solomon...

A Refined Silver Kiddush Goblet, made in Poland in the mid-19th Century. This Polish Kiddush Goblet has an interesting feature about it. On the upper body, there is a Hebrew verse e...

An Important Silver Kiddush Goblet made in Germany in the 18th Century. Goblet rests on a circular domed base with floral scrolling encircling the base. Knopped trophy stem support...