I got married a few months ago, and while it was by no means a traditional affair, there were of course moments and objects we incorporated into the ceremony that held historical meaning and significance. Something we didn’t include? (Admittedly because we’d never heard of it before?) The Loving Cup, a decorative vessel historically used at wedding banquets to commemorate a union, with two handles — one for each partner — and an inscription with the date and names of the couple. This endearing symbol of love and good fortune is the subject of an exhibition at New York’s Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery, where contemporary interpretations of these vessels by an interesting selection of artists and design talents are displayed alongside a host of historic artifacts.

The exhibition fittingly opened on Valentine’s Day, and it continues gallery founder Jacqueline Sullivan’s interlacing of historic and contemporary objects within her Tribeca space. With this particular show, the aim is to explore how these traditional vessels can serve as a means of memory-making and archival stewardship, honoring relationships of all kinds. “While the cup symbolizes faithful devotion and affection, it is an artifact worthy of reverence in its own right,” says Sullivan. “Bearing witness to the fragile complexity (and often, ephemerality) of human connection, the Loving Cup serves as a sacrament to the sincerity of care we feel for others, and the esteem we hold for ourselves.”

Amongst the newly created pieces is a series by artist Sophie Stone, who combines antique glassware with doilies that she laces with silk and cotton threads, beads and sequins to create little hats for the vessels. Stone also contributed a range of textile pieces that are collaged with beads, paper, plastic hearts, ring pulls and more, all sewn on into patterns across a velvet, cotton or sisal base. LA-based duo A History of Frogs created a bug-like aluminum vessel that sprouts metallic tendrils, forming handles that double as a stand to hold the central vase aloft. Their piece is titled Tithonus, after the Greek goddess Eos’s lover, who is transformed into a cicada.

Ficus Interfaith’s ceramic cup is inlaid with terrazzo-filled shells of oysters, a commonly considered aphrodisiac, while Skye Chamberlain’s amphora-like bronze vessels are built up in layers to produce forms that appear to be buckling under their own weight. In one of our favorite pieces, South African artist Cara Bauermeister covered a porcelain vessel with hand-cut pieces of antique jacquard, depicting leaves and flowers, referencing Verdure tapestries and Medieval millefleurs.  Meanwhile, Jordan McDonald’s second body of work for Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery includes large-scale ceramic vessels with tinted transparent glazes and scratched “sgraffito” drawings that reveal a contrasting darkness in the clay. While none of them would have fit the vibe for my own wedding, they’re all intriguingly beautiful regardless.

These works are displayed in and amongst modern icons, such as lighting by Ingo Maurer, chairs by Jean Nouvel, and tea bowls by Toshiko Takaezu, as well as antiques that date back as far as the 1600s that could well have decorated the banquet halls for wedding ceremonies of yore. The rich interweaving of old and new for which Sullivan has become renowned adds so much depth and context to the experience for a visitor, and The Loving Cup exhibition — on view through April 12 — is well worth seeing IRL for that reason.

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM JESS LAIRD