I. Lebedkin, Moskou - Kiddush cup - Silver

This stylish Kiddush cup is an authentic object from Imperial Russia, manufactured in Moscow between 1899 and 1908. The piece bears the marks of the Moscow Szyklar Office (Moskouse Waarborgkantoor) from that period. To the right of the marked head, the initials ИЛ are visible, belonging to Иван Лебёдкин (Ivan Lebedkin), manager of the Warranty Office in Moscow. This marking allows an accurate dating within the stated years and confirms the provenance of the object. The master’s mark is unfortunately unclear, but this does not diminish the historical value of the cup. The clear warranty and assay marks firmly place the piece within the context of late-19th- and early-20th-century Russian Jewish silverwork. This Kiddush cup is suitable for ritual use during Shabbat and holidays as well as for Judaica collectors and antique Russian silver enthusiasts. A atmospheric object with an authentic patina and a tangible connection to its time and place of origin. Height: 4.2 cm. Diameter: 3.6 cm. Weight: 18.7 g. Provenance: Originating from the Devotionalia collection. What is Kiddush? Kiddush ("sanctification") is a short ceremony in which, in the evening at the start of the Sabbath and other holidays, a prayer is recited over a cup of wine. The blessing is spoken by the head of the household in the presence of the entire family, immediately after returning from the synagogue, before the evening meal, and is repeated the following morning. The prayer consists of two blessings: one over the wine and one over the Sabbath or another holiday. The father uses the Kiddush cup with the proper contents, and all family members have their own smaller Kiddush cups. This is considered healthier than drinking directly from the same large, shared Kiddush cup. The Aish Rabbi answers: The reason for sharing the wine (or grape juice) is that the Wise Ones advise participating in a "cup of blessing" (kos shel bracha) – that is, a cup used for a mitzvah. Thus the "blessing" is shared with other participants. Therefore, after reciting Kiddush, someone typically pours some wine from his own cup, which is then poured into smaller cups for those present. It is important to share the wine properly. The host should pour some wine from his own cup before he begins to drink. Not only is drinking from someone else’s cup off-putting to many, but only pure wine may be shared. Once someone has drunk from it, the wine is considered pagum (literally: "defective") and is no longer valid for Kiddush — and only valid wine earns a blessing when shared. As an alternative, the person who recites Kiddush can pass his own cup after he has drunk from it. Although that wine has been drunk from, since it remains in the original cup, it is not pagum and may be shared. If the host pours wine from his own cup before he begins to drink, he should ensure that he pours only a small amount – so that after pouring, he still has the full required quantity of a revi’it in his cup. (See this earlier answer on the required amount of wine.) If his cup is small and there are many guests, a common solution is to pre-pour a quantity of wine from the bottle into a separate cup and then pour a little Kiddush wine into that cup before it is shared with others. Finally, the attendees must wait to drink the wine they have received until the host himself begins to drink. Indeed, after the host pours some wine from his cup into a second cup, he should drink it immediately before sharing the poured wine with others.

Estimate:£184.26

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