Besomim (spice) container
Poland, 1783
Silver, engraved, pierced, chased; h 28.5 cm, diam: 7.5 cm

This elaborate tower-form spice container is a member of a limited family of about 8 such towers recorded in museums and private collections. Its hexagonal shape and fine pierced work add to its distinctive appearance. None of these towers carry silvermarks, but several are dated in the cutout work in the 1730s.

As this container has design elements of both German and Galician/Polish models, it is ascribed to the area of Silesia, which was a territory influenced by the cultures both to the east and the west.