Torah shield. [Germany, 1840s], dedicatory inscription dated 5608 = 1848.
Silver, repoussé and engraved (marked with fineness mark "13" in a silver frame, and with maker’s mark "HS" in a silver frame).
Torah shield, in the form of a plain-surface shield with a number of decorative ornaments attached with nuts and bolts: At top, a protruding crown; at either side at center, a pair of broad columns surmounted with crouched lions; between the columns is a rectangular housing for interchangeable plaques, locked in place by means of a removable clover-shaped pin. There are a total of four double-sided interchangeable plaques.
The bottom of the shield bears a relief in the form of a wreath consisting of grapevine branches and grape clusters. Above and below the interchangeable plaques are two dedicatory inscriptions (in Hebrew); the upper one consists of the name "Peretz Frank", enclosed within a decorative frame. The lower one is enclosed within a medallion bordered with a leafy wreath, and reads: "
Pledged and donated [by] the woman / Mme. Schprintz in honor of / her aforementioned husband [may he rest in peace] in the year / 5608 [1848] …".
Height: 33 cm. Width: 25 cm. Overall good condition. Missing bell (and its suspension ring broken).
