Besamim box (a container for spices)

A silver besamim box in the form of a tureen with a chained lid, engraved and decorated with a delicate floral pattern.
Besamim boxes are special containers for burning aromatic herbs (Heb. “Besamin”) during the Havdalah (Heb. “separation”), a ceremony observed on Saturday to mark the end of the Sabbath. The boxes are made in various shapes and sizes. The most common shape is a tower, however spice boxes resembling plants and fruit are also popular. The tradition of inhaling the aromas of spices (e.g. cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, myrtle) is reminiscent of incense offerings in the Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem.