Spice Container
Artist
Unknown
Dateprobably mid-19th century
MediumSilver
DimensionsH. 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm)
ClassificationsMetal
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Shavitz of Greensboro, North Carolina
Object number2005.19
On View
On viewIn Jewish households the spice container is used in the Havdalah (separation) ceremony marking the end of the Sabbath and the beginning of the secular week. Filled with fragrant herbs, the container is passed among family members, its fragrance symbolizing the hope that the sweetness of the Sabbath may carry through the coming week. In the European Jewish tradition, spice containers took a variety of fanciful forms. The most ubiquitous form is the Gothic tower, often fashioned in intricate silver filigree, pennants flying.ProvenanceCreated Galicia [present day Poland or Ukraine], probably mid-19th century. Private collection, United States; [Yerachmiel Hirschler, Bnei Brak, Israel, and unnamed partner(s)]; [William Gross, Tel Aviv, 2005]; sold to NCMA, 2005.
Published References"New Acquisitions, New Look for the Judaic Art Gallery," Preview: The Magazine of the North Carolina Museum of Art (July/August 2006), briefly discussed and illus. (color) 6.
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 7, 2022–present. Object Rights Statement
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