#FishFriday 🐟:
Fish-form spice container (Besamim)
Vienna, Austria, 1813
Silver, foil-backed glass
3 1/8 × 13 3/8 × 3 in., 15.872oz. (8 × 34 × 7.6 cm, 450g)
Metropolitan Museum of Art 2025.104
“In the Jewish tradition, beautifully crafted spice containers, full of fragrant scents such as cloves, cinnamon, or lavender, are used for the concluding ritual of the Sabbath. The spice container would be passed among the participants to inhale the aroma and animate the spirit. The spice container, known in Hebrew as Besamim, is part of the evening ritual along with a cup of wine and braided candle. This distinctive spice container is in the shape of a three-dimensional fish, whose hinged head lifts to reveal the Ten Commandments designated by Hebrew letters. While this fish form is typically found in the Jewish communities of Austria, Poland, Russia, and Germany, other spice container shapes include bell towers and blossoming flowers. The spice box is one of the most treasured items of domestic Judaica.”
