The Silkworm Box

The Silkworm Box is Desdemona’s prized possession. She brought it to America all the way from Bithynios. She keeps her treasures in it, including her wedding crowns and the silver spoon.

The Silver Spoon

The Silver Spoon is a utensil that Desdemona Stephanides uses to predict the sex of unborn babies. By dangling it over pregnant women's stomachs, she accurately predicts twenty-three births, including Cal’s.

Bithynios

Bithynios is the town in Turkey where the Stephanides clan originated. It was part of territory contested between Greece and Turkey during the breakup of the Ottoman Empire after World War I ends, and the Stephanides are ethnic Greeks even though the town is part of Turkey for most of their lives there.

The Zebra Rug

The Zebra Rug is a real zebra hide owned by Jimmy Zizmo that Lefty hangs on the wall of his speakeasy...