Rare silver Herb Box (Yerbera), Upper Peru, Potosí, c. 1775–90 great repoussé

Amazing and scarce JUDAICA object, we have here one of the most touching jewish objects we had for a long time, this small silver dowry box was made in Algeria in the early 19th century, it is all covered with symbols of jewish faith and of couples, the sliding lid has 2 flanking birds with hamsa (protective hand) on each side and a flower vase in the middle. one side shows two flanking lions with a tree in the middle and the other side shows again two big and two small birds with a flower bowl in the middle, front side has a key hole and next to it there is the Hebrew inscription ס״ט״" which says Siman tov or in English "a good sign" it is taken from the wedding blessing, underneath the lock there is another inscription with the name ״עזיזה בת אברהם בן חמו״ which is the name of the bride, her father and her grandfathers name. the box is full marked a lot of times with the silversmith mark, every side of the box is marked. this box was probably ordered by the grooms family to hold the jewelry they are giving to the bride as dowry, this type of objects are rare and there are just a few of them on museum collections. DOWRY (Heb. נְדֻנְיָה), the property a wife brings to her husband at marriage; the Yiddish equivalent, nadn, is from the same root. The custom of nedunyah became clearly defined and institutionalized only in the talmudic period. In biblical times, mohar (מֹהַר), whereby the groom bought his wife from her father (Gen. 24:53; Ex. 22:15–16; Hos. 3:2), was the accepted practice. It was then customary that the groom give the bride gifts, and that she bring certain property to her husband's home upon marriage: slaves, cattle, real estate, etc. (cf. Gen. 24:59–61; 29; Judg. 1:14ff.; I Kings 9:16). Evidence of the custom of nedunyah is to be found in Tobit (7:14; 8:21) and in the Assuan papyri (Cowley, Aramaic, nos. 15, 18). Gradually, mohar was superseded by the ketubbah custom according to which the husband merely assumed the responsibility of compensation to his wife in case he divorced her: he had to pay her 200 zuzim if she had been a virgin at the time of marriage, and 100 zuzim if a widow or divorcée (see *Ketubbah). By talmudic times, the institution of nedunyah was prevalent; the father gave a dowry to the bride since the daughter was excluded from paternal inheritance. Fifty zuzim (equivalent to the worth of 180 grams of silver) was the minimum amount a father was obliged to give to his daughter (Ket. 6:5). Parents usually gave much more, according to their social standing. Community funds provided the dowry for an orphan or a very poor girl (ibid.; cf. Sh. Ar., YD 251:8). In case of her father's death, the brothers of a minor girl were obliged to give her the minimum dowry, and the court estimated how much her father would have given her above the minimum dowry. The sum was then taken out of the father's estate and given to the daughter upon majority (Ket. 6:6; 68a–69b). In the absence of such an estimate, each daughter was entitled to receive one-tenth of the value of her father's estate in money, or in valuables (Yad, Ishut, 20:4–7; Sh. Ar., EH 113:4). If the father was unable or unwilling to pay the promised dowry at the betrothal ceremony, the groom could refuse to marry his bride (Ket. 13:5; Ket. 108b–109a). Insistence on exact payment of the promised dowry, however, was frowned upon by later rabbinic authorities (Rema to Sh. Ar., EH 2:1). In certain communities it was customary for the groom's father to make a dowry contribution equal to that of the bride's father (Ket. 102b). The dowry, whether given in real estate, slaves, money, or chattel was recorded in the marriage contract (the ketubbah) and in some instances one-third or one-fifth of the actual value of the dowry was added to the sum mentioned in the ketubbah. Based upon a decree enacted by *Simeon b. Shetah (first century C.E.), the Talmud ruled that the husband and his entire property were liable for compensation as stipulated in the ketubbah, either in case he died (when she collected the sum specified in the ketubbah from the heirs) or in case he divorced his wife (Ket. 82b). For the status of the dowry and the husband's rights and obligations, see below. The rabbinic enactments (Takkanot Shum) by R. Jacob *Tam and by the rabbinic synod of the communities of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz (Germany) stipulated that if a woman died...

A RARE SILVER SHMIROT KIDDUSH CUP. Galician, c. 1850. Among some Hassidic courts, it was a practice for the Rabbi to give a blessed silver coin to his Hassidim as an amulet. Such protection might be given for all manner of life events, from healing from an illness to success in travel and the amulet was carried on the body of the recipient. This custom was particularly popular among the Ryzhiner Hassidim and these coins were called "Shmirot". To such coins were attributed extraordinary power and value and they were treasured with great care and love. this cup is marked with polish loth 12 mark which indicate silver content of 75%. Size : Height 2.3 inch / 6 cm Width : 2 inch / 5 cm After the specific event for which they had originally be given, such a coin or coins were used in the making of other objects, which maintained the special aura of the Rabbi. Such a coin would be melted in other silver with the amuletic valued being spread evenly to all the silver. Then a ritual object would be fashioned by a silversmith and the special nature of the item would be inscribed on it, indicating in one of several ways that this object had been made from "Shmirot". this objects include Kiddish cups, a Havdalah tray, a Shabbat salt holder, a Chanukkah Menorah, a Torah crown etc. This object is a Kiddish cup fashioned from such silver. On this cup, the inscription indicating Shmirot is found in the abbreviation of the words "made from shmirot k (kodesh)' " (This is the cup of Shmirot). Such cups were used for blessing the wine so that each use renewed the power of protection granted by the Rabbi. This cup was used for the blessing over wine on Shabbat and holidays. Inscription: the other iconography on the cup is of a lion that represent Through the tribe of Judah, the lion symbol came to represent the blessing, majesty, and even divine protection of the Jews. The lion symbol continued to be used even after the destruction of Jerusalem, the capital of Judah's nation, and a unicorn or a re'em, also reëm (Hebrew: רְאֵם), is an animal mentioned nine times in the Hebrew Bible It has been translated as "unicorn" in the Latin Vulgate, King James Version, and in some Christian Bible translations as "oryx" (which was accepted as the referent in Modern Hebrew),[citation needed] "wild ox", "wild bull", "buffalo" or "rhinoceros". Rabbi Natan Slifkin has argued that the re'em was an aurochs, as has Isaac Asimov...

Very attractive German silver mounted on an antler, cigar cutter This cigar cutter is designed as oak leaves falling on the antler and in the middle There is a game bird of some kind hung from it, very realistic and well made. This kind of objects were made in Germany and Austria so they can be given as High end gifts, used as a display piece with function in men clubs...

Very rare and important piece of George IV silver, highly important silver-gilt Inkwell probably by John Bridge of the renowned silversmiths Rundell & Bridge, Royal Silversmiths to t...

A gorgeous antique French Repousse dresser box, jewelry box, or decorative box France, Circa Late 19th Century Silver over bronze, with purple silk interior. Measures: 7.75"W x 6....

Repoussé brass box, Dutch, repoussé brass covered wooden box with original patina, circa 1940. Measurements: 17" width, 12" depth, 9" height.

Aymara Silver Hat, Potosi High Plateau, Upper Peru, Present-day Bolivia, 18th Century

A fine and rare 19th century sterling silver snuff box made specifically for the Great Exhibition of 1851, held at the Crystal Palace in Londo...