Kiddush (sanctification) cup c. 1961

This Kiddush cup was made anonymously, and it's a beauty. The creator uses a limited palette, embracing the reflective and bright qualities of the silver to create a shimmering, almost ethereal object. Looking closely, the surface is not perfectly smooth, but instead alive with delicate engravings. These patterns and inscriptions aren't just decoration, they are part of the process. Imagine the hand that carefully etched each line, each letter, slowly revealing the design. Notice the zig-zag pattern around the rim. Its rhythmic quality is almost hypnotic, like a mantra. The choice of silver elevates the cup to something precious. Its value is both material and symbolic. It’s a vessel intended for ritual, for sanctification. Like a painting, this cup invites us to reflect, to contemplate, and to find meaning in the everyday. It reminds me of the work of Eva Hesse, who used industrial materials in surprising and intimate ways. Art invites ambiguity. We bring ourselves to the artwork.