Spice Container

Cast, cut-out, engraved and stippled silver
Minden, Germany, 19th century
Marks: Minden city mark; 13; two illegible marks
Gift of Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz
B’nai B’rith Klutznick Collection of Skirball Museum

Spice containers in the shape of towers have been popular in Europe since medieval times, with the earliest known example dating from the 13th century. This tower is decorated with a clock face with one moveable hand. The spice container is used during the ceremony of Havdalah, or separation, marking the end of the Sabbath and the beginning of the rest of the week with the smelling of aromatic spices.

One Comment

Pingback: Havdalah Spice Box with Myrtle Branch – Skirball Cincinnati

Comments are closed.

The Skirball Museum and other parties listed therein hold the copyright to the images, design, and text on our website, unless otherwise noted. The contents of this web site are available for non-commercial, personal, and educational use and may be freely accessed or downloaded on a temporary basis for the sole purpose of viewing, or for “fair use” as defined in the United States copyright laws. Use of site content for such purposes must include attribution to the author/artist, the Skirball Museum, and reference to the URL wwwcsm.huc.edu.

Unauthorized manipulation or redistribution in any form for any commercial use, including commercial publication, or for personal gain is strictly prohibited. To request a high-resolution digital image for study or publication, or to request permission to use an image from our website, complete an image request form or contact aschwartz@huc.edu for more information.