Besomim (Spice Box)
Galicia, Ukraine, c.1800
Silver, pierced, chased

This is a special form of besomim (spices) container used in the Polish lands. Its small size and shape are said to make it convenient as a portable container for a Jew who traveled and was not at home for havdalah (ceremony ending Shabbat). The shape is known as the "pear form" and animals rendered by the piercing of the silver, especially the squirrel, point to Galicia as the area of origin.

Height: 8.2 cm, Diam: 4.5 cm

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