Antique 19thC Brass Tzedakah Box Chevra Kadisha Antwerp Belgium Engraved Lions

Details

Description

An authentic 19th-century brass hand-engraved Tzedakah (charity) collection box (pushke) made for the Chevra Kadisha (Holy Society / Burial Society) … Read more An authentic 19th-century brass hand-engraved Tzedakah (charity) collection box (pushke) made for the Chevra Kadisha (Holy Society / Burial Society) of Antwerp, Belgium (אנוירשה).

The cylindrical vessel features hand-hammered and rolled brass construction with a riveted strap handle and a press-fit cap lid with an integrated coin slot.

Engraving Details
Front Panel: Enclosed within an arched tablet border, hand-engraved in traditional Ashkenazic script:
נדבה לחברה קדישא
(Donation to the Sacred Society)

Flanking Imagery: Flanked by two rampant Lions of Judah standing beside architectural columns/pillars (representing the Temple of Solomon).

Lid Engravings:
Upper section: צדקה (Tzedakah)
Lower section: ח״ק (Chevra Kadisha) over אנוירשה (Antwerp).

Construction & Craftsmanship
Hand-rolled sheet brass cylinder with lap-joint seam.

Bottom cap and inner lining coated with historical tin/lead solder for structural weight and sealing.

Cast/formed brass handle secured with hand-hammered copper rosehead rivets.

Top cap hand-formed over a wooden mandrel showing subtle, irregular hammer facets.

Item Overview
Object Type: Pushke / Handheld Tzedakah (Charity) Collection Box

Organization: Chevra Kadisha (Jewish Sacred Burial Society)

Origin: Antwerp, Belgium (Inscribed Anversha / אנוירשה)

Period: 19th Century (c. 1850–1890)

Materials: Sheet brass body, copper rivets, rolled/crimped seams, lead-tin solder lining

Dimensions: 6" Height x 3.25" Diameter

Weight: 300 grams

Origin: Antwerp, Belgium (Western European / Ashkenazic Jewish Diaspora)

Age: Mid-late 19th Century (c. 1850–1890)

Authenticity Assessment
This piece displays key physical markers of genuine 19th-century Jewish ceremonial sheet metalware:

Tooling & Engraving: The lettering and lions display hand-chiseled graver marks with subtle variance in depth and shading strokes (hatching), inconsistent with modern laser etching or machine pantograph engraving.

Fabrication: Construction utilizes hand-hammered sheet brass with soft hand-riveted copper fasteners, rather than modern electric spot welds or machine-pressed components.

Patinating & Oxidation: Heavy, natural oxidation and subtle green copper carbonate verdigris reside deep inside the engraved channels and around the interior base solder seams, which cannot be artificially replicated without leaving chemical wash traces.

Epigraphic Verification: The use of the historic spelling אנוירשה for Antwerp aligns precisely with 16th–19th century Western European Hebrew orthography found in rabbinic literature and municipal Jewish community records of the Low Countries.

Reference
Book Title: Jewish Ceremonial Art and Religious Observance
Author: Abram Kanof
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York
Page Reference: Page 218, Plate 245 (Discussion on metalwork of the European Chevra Kadisha and charity containers).

Design Significance: A fine example of 19th-century European metalwork, combining functional sacred folk art with clean architectural geometry. The warmth of the patinated brass body paired with graphic hand-engraved heraldic lions makes it an exceptional accent object for curated interiors.

Curator’s Note: This mid-19th-century Belgian brass Tzedakah box serves as an evocative piece of decorative history. Displayed on a library shelf, console, or within a cabinet of curiosities, its deep, untouched patina and crisp hand-engraved iconography add rich historical depth, tactile materiality, and intellectual interest to modern and traditional interiors alike. See less