Beaker
This simple silver cup, so elegant in form and decoration, may bear witness to the vitality of Jewish communities in the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages. Part of a treasure that scholars believe was owned by a Jewish mercantile family from Speyer, it speaks to the prosperity of its owners, their elevated taste and the commercial and aesthetic links they shared with Christian neighbors and other Jews throughout the region.
At the same time, the very circumstances that likely ensured this cup’s preservation offer a poignant reminder of the vulnerability of these communities. Christians blamed Jews for the spread of the Black Death and the cup’s owners seem to have buried their treasure in 1349 as they attempted to escape persecution
At the same time, the very circumstances that likely ensured this cup’s preservation offer a poignant reminder of the vulnerability of these communities. Christians blamed Jews for the spread of the Black Death and the cup’s owners seem to have buried their treasure in 1349 as they attempted to escape persecution
Artwork Details
- Title: Beaker
- Date: first half 14th century
- Culture: German
- Medium: Silver and gilded silver
- Dimensions: 4 ½ in. (11.4 cm.) diameter; 4 oz. (124.4 gr.)
- Classification: Metalwork-Silver
- Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 2025
- Object Number: 2025.262
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters
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German
ca. 1230–50
German
ca. 1230–50
German
late 14th century
North German
ca. 1200
German
ca. 1360
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