Silver with enamel and gold foil, London hallmarks for 2005, mark of Tamar de Vries Winter.

The Kiddush cup is of beaker form which tapers slightly in the centre. The body of the cup is almost completely engraved with Hebrew text. The Hebrew words are written in diagonal rows which encircle the vessel twenty times. Over the Hebrew text is applied white enamel and gold foil.

Supported by The Kessler Foundation which is funded by the Jewish Chronicle

Commisioned by the V&A through the generousity of the Kessler Foundation.

The design of the kiddush cup is based on the Hebrew letters from the words that translate 'creator of the fruit of the vine": The conclusion of the benediction said when drinking wine at the beginning of the Sabbath or holiday. The cup is spun by John Need at Kent Silver Specialists and engraved by the aid of computer with a CAD CAM program by Jack Perry. The cup is enamelled with 24 carat Gold Foil.

Contemporary Judaica in Britain
Judaica has always reflected the artistic styles of its time. In the late 19th century ceremonial silver was available through large companies such as Joseph & Horace Savory and cherished pieces were brought into England by the Jews who had fled the pogroms in Eastern Europe. In the first half of the 20th century the two world wars and the Holocaust meant that little Jewish silver was produced. It was not until Jewish communities had become more established that synagogues began to commission new work. The designers were often non-Jewish, as was Professor Gerald Benney, the eminent silversmith who began to make ceremonial objects in contemporary styles in the 1960s. More recently a new generation of silversmiths, including Tamar de Vries Winter, have continued to make ritual objects. Their work has enabled traditional Jewish religious customs and practices to be fulfilled in a modern style.

The cup was spun by John Need at Kent Silver specialists

The Kiddush is a prayer of sanctification said over a cup of wine at the beginning of the Sabbath or holy day. 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.

M.19-2005