Torah shield. France, dedicatory inscription from Altkirch, Alsace, 1872.

Silver, Repoussé and engraved (marked with indistinct maker’s marks, possibly the letter "R" within a lozenge, and with French fineness marks, in use from 1838 onward); glass stones.

Decorated with vegetal motifs and a pair of architectural columns supporting snarling lions flanking a crown set with glass stones at its base.

The center features a rectangular slot for interchangeable plaques (two double-sided plaques enclosed). Below it, a cartouche engraved with a dedicatory inscription (French):
"Don de Mr. et Mme. Simon Lang, Altkirsch 3 Oct. 1872".

Three bells suspended from the shield's bottom edge. Suspension chain.

Height: 24.5 cm. Width: 21 cm. Overall good condition. Possibly missing a cover or clasp for the plaque compartment.

Torah shield. London, 1890.

Silver, stamped and engraved (marked with London marks: year mark "P" = 1890, and maker’s mark "LL" – probably designating Lewis Lewis, Brighton, England).

Unique Torah shield, in form of a convex cartouche, with the symbols of the Twelve Tribes of Israel engraved at center. At bottom, vegetal patterns and a ribbon-like ornament embedded with a Star of David.

Height: 28 cm. Width: 21.5 cm. Overall good condition. Chain severed and mostly missing.

Pair of Torah finials by silversmith Jacob Langleben. London, 1897.

Silver, cast, turned and repoussé (marked with London hallmarks, date letter b = 1897, and maker’s mark J.L. – Jacob Langleben); filigree.

Tall Torah finials, adorned with vegetal patterns – some repoussé, others formed of twisted silver wires (filigree). Each finial surmounted by a large crown, the base of which features six cast motifs depicting animals: two deer (in different poses), an eagle, a dove, and two lions (in different poses). The top of each crown is surmounted by a large eagle-shaped ornament. Two rows of eight bells each encircle the body of each finial; the lower row hangs from dove-shaped hooks.

On silversmith Jacob Langleben, see previous item.

Height: 42 cm. Max. width: 11 cm. Overall good condition. Minor bends and old soldering repairs. Some bells replaced (original bells bear hallmarks).

Pair of Torah finials. Austro-Hungarian Empire, [presumably Vienna], late 19th or early 20th century.

silver, repoussé and pierced (marked with Austro-Hungarian fineness marks, in use 1886-1922, and indistinct maker’s marks, possibly JE).

Large pair of Torah finials, designed in a style typical of Vienna in the 19th century. Decorated with repoussé and pierced vegetal motifs. Each finial is encircled by two tiers of eight bells, topped with a crown-shaped ornament and a floral finial.

Height: 37-38 cm. Max. width: 18 cm. Overall fair-good condition. Minor bends and cracks, mainly to upper ornaments. One finial missing upper suspension hook and bell. Old soldering repairs.

Torah shield. [Germany, possibly Schwäbisch Gmünd, 18th century].

Silver, repoussé and engraved (marked on reverse with three hallmarks – two depicting a unicorn or rampant lion enclosed in an oval frame, possibly from Schwäbisch Gmünd, and maker’s mark IG enclosed in a rectangular frame with cut corners, possibly Joseph Göndle [Gündle]); parcel-gilt; set with colored glass stones.

High-quality Torah shield, adorned with rocailles and vegetal motifs typical of the 18th century. Large shell-shaped ornament at top, below it a crown-shaped ornament protruding forward, supported by two crowned lions. Center fitted with a rectangular frame for interchangeable plaques (plaques and rear cover missing), flanked by figures of Moses (holding the Tablets of the Law engraved with the Ten Commandments) and Aaron (wearing the priestly breastplate and holding a censer). Decorated with 27 colored glass stones of various sizes, including a tiny stone set in the eye of the left lion. Originally, the Torah shield was ornamented with approx. 11 additional stones.

Though the hallmarks are blurred and difficult to decipher, they may depict a unicorn (rampant, facing left, in an oval frame), a symbol used on silverwork from Schwäbisch Gmünd near Stuttgart in the 18th century. The abundance of colored glass stones set in this shield also recalls silverwork produced in the city at the time. If indeed from Schwäbisch Gmünd, the maker’s mark IG is likely by the silversmith Joseph Gündle, active in the 18th century.

Height: 33 cm. Width: 27.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Breaks and bends to edges. Missing glass stones. Lacking chain, rear cover and interchangeable plaques.

For additional information and comparison, see: Rosenberg, Der Goldschmiede Merkzeichen (1922-1928), vol. 2, nos. 2178-2179 and 2205; Heike Krause-Schmidt, "...ihr Brodt mit kleiner Silber-Arbeit erwerben": die Geschichte des Gmünder Goldschmiedegewerbes (1999), p. 104 (note 530); Eine gute Woche!: jüdische Türme aus Schwäbisch Gmünd (2001).