Embroidered oval fabric. Ottoman Empire, [early 20th century].
Linen, cotton and silk embroidery thread, metal thread.
Oval fabric entirely embroidered with thread in shades of cream, brown, blue, and purple. At center, Star of David, encircled by vegetal patterns and enclosing Hebrew word "Zion," encircled in turn by band with Hebrew name "Jerusalem" (four times) and circlets, in recurrent pattern. Metal-thread embroidery in margins. This embroidered fabric may have served as a sukkah decoration or, alternatively, as a matzah cover on seder night.
43X38 cm. Good condition. Some stains. Some unraveling.
Reference: Sephardi Jews in the Ottoman Empire: Aspects of Material Culture, p. 90; Shimmering Gold, the Splendor of Gold Embroidered Textiles, pp. 68-69.

11 postcards depicting Jews of Yemen and Djibouti. Various publishers and locales, [ca. 1900-30].
Nine of the postcards feature Jews originating from Yemen (some in Yemen, others in Palestine), and two feature Jews in Djibouti. One undivided-back postcard.
Average size: 9X14 cm. Condition varies.

Pair of Torah finials. Yemen, [19th century].
Brass, cast and engraved.
Small, slender, elegant pair of Yemenite-style Torah finials. Baluster form, with two upper pear-like faceted knops, an undecorated band and a single gadrooned spheroid knop. Surfaces of both upper sections with vegetal patterns and with two biblical verses, engraved in particularly elegant Hebrew letters: "The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul, the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right" on one finial, and continuing: "gladdening the heart, the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes" (Psalms 19:8-9) on the other. These very same verses also appear on the earliest known pair of Torah finials, dating from the 15th century and kept in the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
The present Torah finials are unusual insofar as typical Yemenite finials of this variety are almost entirely lacking in decorations, and in particular, inscriptions with biblical verses are very much the exception and not the rule.
Height: 20.5-21 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes to shaft. Shafts may have been shortened over the years.

Torah pointer. Yemen, [first half of 20th century].
Silver, cast, punched, and engraved.
Long, thin Torah pointer. Engraved with Hebrew biblical verse and dedicatory and other inscriptions on handle: "Shaddai"; "The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul," "the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple" (Psalms 19:8); and "Garameh Yihya." Handle surmounted by ring, from which two bells and an additional ornament (partly missing) are suspended.
Length: 23 cm.

Three Torah pointers. Yemen, [first half of 20th century].
Brass, cast, punched, and engraved; copper, cast, punched, and engraved; silver bell.
Three long, thin Torah pointers, with pointed apexes.
1. Top of handle fan-shaped. Engraved with two Hebrew biblical verses. Length: 31 cm.
2. Handle surmounted by suspension ring with silver bell attached. Engraved with Hebrew biblical verses (Psalms 19:8-9, Deuteronomy 33:10, Psalms 19:10); and with the Hebrew dedicatory inscription: "Meshulam son of / […] Rabbi / Zekhariah […]". Length: 26.5 cm.
3. Copper Torah pointer. Engraved with Hebrew biblical verses (Deuteronomy 33:4; 4:44, Psalms 19:8); and with the Hebrew dedicatory inscription: "[…] property of Avraham Gahash". Length: 29 cm.