NARRATOR: This double cup is the only one of its kind known to exist. It was probably made in the kingdom of Bohemia -- in or around the court of Charles the 4th -- during the first half of the 14th century. Crafted entirely of silver and silver gilt, it also has opaque enamel inside the lower cup. Look inside it. You can see three conical hats in silver on a red enamel background. This kind of hat was commonly worn by Jews at the time. Three hats also appear in a crest at the base of the upper cup. The cup's base is turned upside down before you. The inscription gives the names of the Three Kings.

TIMOTHY HUSBAND: "The question of course immediately arises: why would you have Jewish coats of arms on a vessel that has the names of 3 kings?" NARRATOR: Timothy Husband, Curator of Medieval Art and the Cloisters.

TIMOTHY HUSBAND: "I think the answer lies in the celebrations that typically took place in the Middle Ages on the evening of epiphany. It actually goes back to pre-Christian times in Northern Europe and is very closely related to May Day celebrations and celebrations of the vernal equinox and the coming of spring…In celebration of epiphany, the court often gave out gifts…and they of course would have been inscribed with either the names or the images of the three kings, and I think that this is probably the origin of the Cloisters double cup. It was a gift handed out by either the emperor himself or high officials of his court. The coat of arms themselves are probably not the arms of an individual but probably a Jewish confraternity or some organization closely allied with the court in Prague."