Torah crown. [Produced in the Bezalel School, Jerusalem or Ben Shemen, ca. 1912 (unmarked)]; dedicated to a synagogue in Greece, possibly Rhodes.
Silver, pierced and sawn (internal fitting marked in Greek: Γ. ΠΑΠΑΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΥ / Δ. ΚΡΟΜΙΔΑΣ [= G. PAPANIKOLAOU / D. KROMIDAS]); filigree.
High-quality and rare Torah crown created in the silver filigree department of the Bezalel School, used to adorn a Torah scroll in a synagogue in Greece.
A heavy cylindrical crown, open at the base and top. The structure is based on two broad internal silver bands, to which outward-facing filigree ornaments are affixed with rivets. It is decorated with twelve filigree arches resting on wide bases, from which hang suspension rings with bells. Between the arches are affixed circular filigree medallions set with a Star of David motif. The upper rim is surmounted by twelve additional arched ornaments.
On the inner side of the crown – near the upper rim – a rectangular silver bar is soldered, with two oval apertures for the Torah scroll staves (this fitting was apparently added in Greece; the Greek silversmiths’ marks appear on it).
A dedicatory inscription appears near the base, in hand-sawn silver letters: "Yosef Eliyahu Pihas and his wife Rivkah Los Angeles America", followed by six small soldered Star of David ornaments.
Added note:
It is likely that the couple in question are Joseph (1883-1973) and Rebecca (1887-1974) Peha (or Piha) of Los Angeles. The gravestone of the couple is documented on the website Find a Grave; Joseph Piha is also mentioned as one of the members of the Sephardic Jewish community of Rhodes who immigrated to Los Angeles, United States, in the early 20th century (see: Western States Jewish Historical Quarterly, Vol. VI, No. 4, July 1974, p. 245).
An identical crown is illustrated in the price list of Bezalel objects printed in Berlin, ca. 1913. It is the most expensive item listed in that catalogue, priced at 400-500 marks. Aside from the example documented there, no other copies of this model are known to us.
The Bezalel silver filigree department was established in 1908 and operated intensively during Bezalel’s "years of prosperity" (1908-1912). Although initially employing no more than four craftsmen, the Yemenite silversmiths’ colony was founded in Ben Shemen in 1911; the workforce expanded significantly and production increased accordingly. However, in 1913 the colony encountered financial difficulties and was ultimately closed in early 1914.
The combination of the Greek silversmiths’ marks on the internal fitting and the wording of the dedicatory inscription indicates that the crown was acquired or commissioned from Bezalel for a synagogue in Greece, apparently Rhodes. The name of the silversmith Demetrid Kromidas (or Kromidis) also appears on another Torah crown produced in Rhodes in the 19th century (see: Kedem, Auction 103, 1 September 2025, Lot 34).
Hand-sawn silver letters likewise appear on other Bezalel objects produced during this period, as well as on the crown illustrated in the above-mentioned price list.
Height: 15 cm. Diameter: 23 cm. Weight: 1870 g. Good condition. Minor bends. Minor blemishes to filigree, with several tiny elements missing. Slight corrosion to filigree in two areas and minor solder repairs. Seven bells missing. Minor fractures and traces of solder visible on the interior at the base; it is possible that the silver bar was originally positioned at the base of the crown rather than near the top.
Reference:
· Preisverzeichnis der Erzeugnisse der Kunstgewerbeschule Bezalel in Jerusalem, Berlin: Verein Bezalel, ca. 1913, no. 201, pages 8 and 15.
· Nurit Shilo-Cohen, Bezalel 1906-1929, Jerusalem, 1982, pp. 55, 151-152 (Hebrew edition).
