German circa 1600
A late 16th / early 17th century unmarked parcel gilt silver pomander

Of globular form, the sides engraved with vacant circular cartouches, surrounded by flowering foliage. The screw thread overhead ring handle and the spreading foot with pierced decoration of scrolls, detaches to reveal an integral spoon. Ppens to reveal six hollow segments secured to a central gilt and engraved stem, each with a sliding cover engraved with the name of a herb or aromatic, 1. Canel (cinnamon) 2. Replaced vacant cover 3.Kimmel (caraway) ; 4. Schlag ( a mixture of brandy and primrose petals) 5. Ruten (rue) and 6. Rosen (rose)

Length - 4 cm / 1.57 inches

Weight - 26.42 grams / 0.84 ozt

the term pomander derives from the French pomme d’ambre, meaning “apple of amber,” a reference to the aromatic substances—ambergris, musk, civet, and spices—once formed into small balls and carried as protection against disease. By the 16th and 17th centuries, the word came to denote not only the scented mixtures but also the ornate containers devised to hold them. As medical theory increasingly associated specific spices with remedies for particular ailments, the pomander evolved from a single aromatic ball to the more complex segmented form, allowing the bearer to carry several scents separately within a silver or gilt case.