Silver Kiddush Cup by BEN-ZION

A silver Kiddush cup beautifully decorated with floral and geometrical patterned filigree work and casted with clusters of grapes decorations. Its interior is gilt. The cup is marked "BEN-ZION STRELING ISRAEL". It is probably the work of Ben-Zion David, a true artisan and an eighth generation of a well-known family of silversmiths who originated from Najran, Northern Yemen.

The Kiddush cup, a main utensil used in the sanctification of the Sabbath, is usually made of silver, sometimes inscribed with words in honor of the Sabbath. The technique used in this unique cup, filigree, is a remarkable technique in which round or flat metal wires of varying thickness are worked on a skeletal structure to create a lacework effect, hence allowing a magnificent and festive result.

The craft of filigree, which is identified more than any other technique with Yemenite jewelry, had been practiced in ancient times, and became popular from the medieval period onward. From the 17th century on, we witness a great body of Jewish ceremonial objects of all kinds worked in filigree - Torah crowns, Rimonim, Mezuzot, Spice containers and more. The tradition of filigree work was continued into the 20th century by the craftsmen of the Bezalel School of Jerusalem.

 

* The price of this item includes shipping, handling and insurance.