Spice Container, c. 1550; repairs and additions, 1651
Silver: hammered, cast, engraved, and gilt
9 1/2 x 2 7/8 x 2 5/8 in. (24.1 x 7.4 x 6.6 cm.)
Jewish Cultural Reconstruction
JM 23-52 ' ; $object_caption = 'Spice Container, c. 1550; repairs and additions, 1651
Silver: hammered, cast, engraved, and gilt

JM 23-52 ' ; $object_summary = 'This 16th-century work is one of the oldest known spice containers used for the havdalah, which since antiquity has marked the conclusion of Jewish Sabbaths and holy days. It is shaped like a four-story Gothic tower. The adoption of the tower shape for havdalah containers is not surprising given the widespread use of architectural forms in medieval metalwork, including censers for church ceremonies, whose function was also to give off aromatic odors.

Currently on view in the Permanent Exhibition. '; ?>