Decorated Esther scroll. [Israel, ca. 1950s].

Ink and paint on parchment; carved wood.

Exceptionally large Esther scroll, written on three parchment sheets sewn one to the other; eight text columns, 43 lines per column, with tagin on designated letters.

Hand-decorated throughout in soft tones of yellow, brown, red, pink, green, light blue, purple and gold. The illustrations feature architectural arches and columns incorporating the symbols of the Twelve Zodiac signs within oval medallions (in some cases two signs appear together, one above the other). Sewn onto a large wooden handle, housed in a custom leather-covered case with openings for the ends of the handle.

Parchment height: 49 cm. Overall good condition. Minor stains, creases, and some fading to ink and pigments. Handle height: 67 cm. Case dimensions: 51X12X10 cm.

See also, previous lot and following lot.