Important 18th century Persian Jewish silver Amulet for mother and newborn

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 Gradually, mohar was superseded by the ketubbah custom according to which the husband merely assumed the responsibility of compensation to his wife in case he divorced her: he had to pay her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...

very rare Bezalel Jerusalem plate , this amazing plate has the best subject And artistic Design i have seen in a lot of years, the plate has 5 different scenes from the story Of Adam And Eve in the garden pf Eden. On the middle of the plate the is an Hebrew inscription, it is parts from the 5 lines that describe The 5 scene on the plate: "וַיִּ֩יצֶר֩ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֗ם עָפָר֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה" "And the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground" "לֹא־ט֛וֹב הֱי֥וֹת הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְבַדּ֑וֹ" "And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man is alone" "'וַיִּֽהְי֤וּ שְׁנֵיהֶם֙ עֲרוּמִּ֔ים" "Now they were both naked" "וַתִּקַּ֥ח מִפִּרְי֖וֹ וַתֹּאכַ֑ל וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם־לְאִישָׁ֛הּ" "She took of its fruit, and she ate, and she gave also to her husband" "וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן־עֵ֜דֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֨רֶב֙ הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת־דֶּ֖רֶךְ עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים:" "And He drove the man out, and He stationed from the east of the Garden of Eden the cherubim and the blade of the revolving sword, to guard the way to the Tree of Life." This rare plate is fully marked on the back "BEZALEL JERUSALEM" in Hebrew, the Jerusalem Mark is a bit worn but it is present, on the top of the mark there is the number 522 which is Probably the model number, this plate was mad on the early 1910s or even earlier and it is one of Bezalel earliest works, it is not known who is the artist but the artistic style is typical of Reuben Leaf Lipschitz, he was working in Bezalel in 1912-1916 and was the manager of the etching Department in this time frame, in 1916 he moved to the USA to escape joining the ottoman army in ww1. he stayed in the USA and became a graphic designer who designed and decorated Synagogues he also made graphic designs a illustrations to Hebrew books...

This exceptional antique silver amulet from Iran exemplifies the refined craftsmanship and spiritual depth of Persian Jewish heritage. Shaped in an elegant, lobed diamond form with delicately contoured edges, the amulet is engraved with intricate detail, reflecting both artistic sophistication and religious devotion. At the center, a stylized cartouche is inscribed with Hebrew text, likely invoking divine names or protective blessings — a hallmark of traditional Jewish amulets. Surrounding the central panel, a beautifully flowing engraved border in the form of a pointed arch or mihrab motif lends the piece a sacred architectural presence, often interpreted as a symbolic gateway to divine protection. Further floral and foliate elements are engraved into the design, subtly blending nature with mysticism. Additional Hebrew inscriptions encircle the inner medallion and appear along the edges, each rendered in clean, carefully etched lines. The amulet features four suspension loops — one at each cardinal point — suggesting it may have once been sewn onto clothing, hung in a home, or worn as a protective charm close to the body. Rich in symbolism and cultural meaning, this rare Iranian silver...

Rare Silver Amulet, Tzefat (Safed), Circa 1890 This extraordinary silver amulet, crafted in the sacred city of Tzefat circa 1890, is a rare and important artifact of Jewish devotion...