This exceptional early 20th-century octagonal Etrog box is hand-carved from highly figured, beautifully grained Holy Land olive wood. The box features nine distinct relief carvings detailing biblical passages and venerated regional shrines.

The flat-top hinged lid displays an open Torah scroll flanked by olive branches, intricately carved with the priestly blessing text from Numbers 6:24-26 ("יברכך ה' וישמרך..."). Bordering the lid is the central commandment for the holiday of Sukkot from Leviticus 23:40: "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a splendid tree [Etrog]..." ("ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון פרי עץ הדר כפת תמרים וענף עץ עבת וערבי נחל"). The front rim of the lid is inscribed with "ירושלם" (Jerusalem).

The exterior perimeter is constructed from eight individually carved micro-architectural panels separated by natural grain borders, each bearing localized hand-inked Hebrew descriptions identifying the Holy Places:

1. כותל המערבי (The Western Wall) - Front locking panel under keyhole

2. קבר רחל (Rachel’s Tomb)

3. מערת המכפלה (Cave of the Patriarchs / Hebron)

4. מקום המקדש (Site of the Holy Temple)

5. יד אבשלום (Tomb of Absalom)

6. ציון עיר דוד (Zion, City of David)

7. קבר זכריה הנביא (Tomb of Zechariah the Prophet)

8. קבר חגי הנביא (Tomb of Haggai the Prophet)

The interior features its original, vibrant fuchsia-pink silk or satin protective fabric lining, historically designed to cushion the delicate pitam of the etrog fruit during the festival of Sukkot.

Dimensions

• Length: 6.00" (approx. 15.2 cm), Width: 4.25" (approx. 10.8 cm), Height: 3.50" (approx. 8.9 cm)

Condition Report

• Overall Condition: Very Good antique condition, presented in clean "as-found," un-restored state with a beautiful golden amber aged patina.

• Structural Notes: There is a tight, age-related shrinkage crack traversing the base panel, which is typical for dense antique olive wood and does not compromise structural integrity. A minor hairline shrinkage check is present on the top-left section of the lid.

• Lining: The original pink silk lining remains present; it shows standard age fraying along the upper raw perimeter edges and light nesting wear consistent with centennial usage.

• Hardware: Original brass piano hinge and internal mortise lock mechanism are intact. The key is not included.

Authenticity Assessment

This piece is a textbook example of Bezalel School or contemporary workshop production from the late Ottoman/Early British Mandate era in Jerusalem. While it does not bear a stamped or inked "Bezalel" signature on the base, the specific stylistic layout—using architectural relief panels depicting the Holy Places (Mekomot Hakedoshim), framed by hand-inked block Hebrew descriptions, combined with chip-carved stippled backgrounds—is the quintessential hallmark of the woodworking department established under Boris Schatz at the Bezalel Academy.

During the 1910–1920 period, master craftsmen and students produced these boxes both within the school framework and in cooperative offshoot workshops in Jerusalem using identical design templates. The naive yet highly detailed relief carving style, paired with the classic hand-rendered black lettering on the bases of the panels, verifies its authenticity as a genuine, period-correct Holy Land tourist and ceremonial export piece.

Reference

• Book Title: Bezalel Jerusalem: 1906–1929

• Author/Editor: Nurit Shilo-Cohen (The Israel Museum, Jerusalem)

• Page Reference: See Chapter 4: "The Departments of the School," specifically the sections cataloging Woodcarving and Olive Wood works, detailing the relief-carved panoramic vistas of the Holy Places and Hebrew typography developed under the direction of the academy.

A nearly exact example can be found

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