Obj. ID: 39174
  Sacred and Ritual  Besomim, Poland, 1738

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

In Jewish tradition the end of the Sabbath and other Jewish Holidays is marked by the ceremony of Havdalah (Separation) that differentiates between the Holy nature of the holdiay and the profane nature of the following day. This ritual is accomplished by lighting a special candle with several wicks, drinking wine from a cup and the inhalation of the sweet smell of spices. In the Ashkenazi world these spices were usually held in a container which was often shaped in varying forms.

This elaborately constructed and finished tower form spice container is a member of a limited family of about eight such towers recorded in museums and private collections. Its hexagonal shape and fine pierced work add to its distinctive appearance. None of these towers carry silver marks, but several are dated in the cutout work to the time of the 1730's. The type has design elements of both German and Galician/polish models and therefore is ascribed to the area of Silesia, which was a territory subject to the influence of the cultures both to the east and to the west. They are considered a quite prestigious form for collecters and in the few instances they have been offerred have brought high prices.