Gift of Elaine Sandman in memory of her parents, Louis and Ethel Elden
This silver filigree spice container was used in the Havdalah (or Separation) ceremony that marks the end of the Sabbath. A special feature of this spice container is the selective use of gilding, or applying a thin layer of gold, to accent the architecture of the tower.
Spice containers are among the most common Jewish ceremonial objects. Spice towers like this one would have been filled with sweet herbs and spices such as cloves and cinnamon during the Havdalah ceremony. It is believed that smelling the spices expresses the hope that the sweetness of the Sabbath might carry through the week to come. Curatorial consultant Gabriel Goldstein provides an alternative theory, stating that the fragrant spices “are akin to smelling salts used to invigorate the individual, as at the moment of Havdalah there is a loss of a special extra soul or spirit that inhabits the body during the Sabbath.” Whatever the reason for its use, the spice container traditionally has been an essential part of the Jewish home.
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