Torah shield from the synagogue of the Sephardi community of Craiova, Romania. Made in Austria-Hungary; dedicatory inscription dated 5629 [1869].
Silver, stamped and engraved (marked with Austro-Hungarian quality marks, in use 1866-72, and with maker’s mark: "HG").
Small Torah shield. At its center, in relief, is an ornament in the form of the Two Tablets of the Law (engraved with the abbreviated Ten Commandments). Underneath this is an additional ornament in the form of a pedestal.
The Two Tablets are flanked by a pair of langued, rampant lions, and surmounted by a large crown with a cloth ribbon spiraling underneath it – all fastened onto the shield with screws. Dedicatory inscription (Hebrew) engraved onto the pedestal beneath the Two Tablets: "Gift of Ya’akov Yitzhak Farhi, may the Lord keep him / 5629 [1869]". Suspension chain.
Height: 22.5 cm. Width: 18.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Slight fractures and old soldering repairs. Warping. Spherical ornaments missing from top edge. Corrosion.
