Mid-18th Century English Silver Kiddush Cup

Hand engraved silver Kiddush cup, 1894. Engraved with Hebrew text: "This cup of Blessing donated by Max Freined for "Aid for sick" society, Rosh Ha'Shana, ...

Chinese export silver covered Kiddush cup, 19th century. Round bowl on baluster stem mounted to stepped and flat circular foot. Double domed cover with pointed finial. Engraved band...

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...

Important Handmade sterling silver Kiddush goblet by Bezalel School, Jerusalem, Circa 1910-1913. On the cup there are 3 identical scenes of flanked lions and on the middle of them There are two columns with a staircase, this design is probably taken from Eastern European torah ark, on the middle part there is a chandelier with 3 tiger/lioness Heads, the top of the cup has 3 inscription on top of each flanking lions scene, first One says : ״כוס ישועות אשא״ (Psalms 116:13) which means " I will take the cup of Salvation", this is a rather common blessing on kiddush cups. Next inscription says : ״אין שמחה אלא ביין״ in English " there is no joy except in wine" This says that after the temple was destroyed we have our joy only in the wine of Kiddish. The last inscription says ״ושמחת בחגך״ (Deuteronomy 16:14 ) in English : "And you shall rejoice in your festival". So this cup is a kiddish cup...