Spice box (Spice tower)

Description

The base of this spice tower (b’shamim) bears a genuine mark of Myer Myers and appears to be colonial-era work. The item's construction and engraving, however, cause concern about its authenticity. Close examination reveals a horizontal seam expertly hidden along the shaft, and analytical testing in Winterthur’s lab indicates the upper segment was constructed from a lower purity of silver than the base. The two parts were almost certainly joined with intent to deceive. This spice tower was excluded from a sale of important colonial New York silver and donated to the museum for study purposes.