A beautifully hand crafted late 19th century Dutch silver Besamim spice box, in the form of an articulated fish, traditionally a Judaica item used for holding the spices used in the Havdalah ceremony to celebrate the end of the Sabbath. 
The silver fish is articulated, the body formed of seven joined sections, with a hinged lid at the head. The body of the fish also features delicate naturalistic engraving to the body and one eye is set with red glass, the other is missing.
The tail is stamped with a Dutch makers mark with the letters 'SH' into a cloverleaf.
Length: 10 cm or 4 in
Width: 2.1 cm or 3/4 in
Weight: 20.6 grams, 0.662 oz troy
£450