Buried treasure
I have this silver box that belonged to my father’s Jewish family in Poland. In the Second World War, when the family were moved to the Ëódz Ghe#o and subsequently transported to Auschwitz, a kind neighbour buried a few of the family’s valuables in the garden. My father survived the Holocaust and, when he returned home, retrieved the items that had been buried. I have recently learned that it is a tzedakah, used to collect donations for charity. My father said it had been passed down through the family for a number of generations. Perhaps the $gures or type of lock would shed some light on its age?
Ann Berman, via email
Your tzedakah money box appears to be unmarked but both the decoration and style of the handle are very distinctive. It’s decorated with !gures in the medievalist revival taste, which was popular in central Europe in the mid 19th century.
Rather than being handchased, the design is stamped out in sections from a master die and is very typical of French and Austrian work c1860- 80, as is the stamped scroll handle which is a pa"ern o#en seen on these collection boxes. Although unmarked, no base metal appears to be visible at the polished edges, so I suspect that it will be 800- 900 standard solid silver (though you should have it tested on the base to be certain). As a silver, rather than electroplated, example it would be worth between £250-£350 at auction though, as a family heirloom, it’s priceless. MB