This is one of four designs for a Kiddush cup by Tamar de Vries Winter (b.1945) that was commissioned by the V & A for the Sacred Silver and Stained Glass Gallery in 2004. The designs demonstrate the creative process, including technical notes, from an early stage and show the cup with its engraved pattern followed by designs that are worked up with ideas for the champlevé enamel decoration of the engraving. The champlevé process consists of cutting away troughs in a metal plate and filling the depressions with enamel.

The Kiddush is a prayer of sanctification said over a cup of wine at the beginning of the Sabbath or holiday. This cup is engraved with Hebrew letters meaning 'Creator of the fruit of the vine.' The uninterrupted repetition of these letters encircling the vessel reflects the continuity of the prayer, which has been recited for more than two millennia.

Tamar de Vries Winter is a contemporary jeweller and silverware designer. Her interest in ceremony, both personal and public, led her to create a collection of Judaica.