Esther scroll housed in filigree silver case. [Ottoman Empire, possibly Izmir (Smyrna), second half of 19th century].
Silver, filigree, and granulation (unmarked); gilt; coral bead; ink on parchment; silk, satin weave.
Written on seven sheets of high-quality parchment, sewn together, 21 columns of text, 18 lines per column. "Tagim" over designated letters. Fancy ornaments over the Hebrew letters "lamed" at the tops of columns and over other specially designated letters. The scroll is wound around an elegant shaft, three times longer than the height of the scroll itself. The shaft is made of cast silver and delicate filigree work, decorated in granulation, and adorned with tiny diamond-shaped plates and small flower-shaped ornaments. The upper portion is in the form of a four-tiered crown. At the top of the crown is a cone, surmounted by a cup-like ornament filled with a coral bead. The scroll itself is housed in its original silver case, consisting of plates similarly crafted in filigree and bearing matching vegetal/floral patterns, and curved to form a cylinder. The leading edge of the first sheet of parchment is decoratively cut. Sewn onto it is a lengthy yellow silk-satin band for tying the scroll.
Height of parchment sheets: 14 cm. Very good condition. Slight unraveling at Slight unraveling to sewn joints between sheets. Height of shaft: 43.5 cm. Overall good condition. Minor blemishes and warping, mostly to base of handle and to upper ornament. Slight fractures to filigree case, several missing strips and clasps (one remaining clasp). Scroll not sewn onto shaft.
For comparison, see: Esther Juhasz (ed. and curator), Sephardi Jews in the Ottoman Empire: Aspects of Material Culture, the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1989 (Hebrew and English), p. 83, pl. 41; The Center for Jewish Art (CJA), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, item 40982 (from the Gross Family Collection).
