Antique Russian Jewish silver filigree besamim box

The finely-crafted silver box features a rectangular body with canted corners, set on four bun feet. The box is topped by a hinged lid with a raised centre. This lid is decorated with miniature, three-dimensional flowers, and is crowned by a flower finial.

This box is made from silver filigree – that is, fine silver wires, which have been twisted to form delicate pierced patterns. The box is fully hallmarked, with the Assayer’s Mark ‘H. A/1840’, the maker’s mark ‘AN’, the silver standard mark ‘87’ and Moscow's town mark, depicting St George slaying the dragon.

Called a Besamim box, this item is designed to hold the aromatic spices used in the Jewish Havdalah ceremony. This ceremony marks the end of the Shabbat (the seventh day of the week, reserved for rest and prayer). In this ceremony, the spices are passed around during the service to comfort and soothe the congregation, readying them for the next working week.