A Decorated Esther Scroll [Italy: 18th century]

Parchment Scroll (149 x 6 ½ in; 3790 x 165 mm). Gouache, ink and shell gold on parchment; 25 columns of 15 lines written in square Hebrew script with tagin, on 7 membranes. Mounted on a contemporary turned wooden roller (height: 14 ½ in; 670 mm).  Housed in a later gilt tooled leather cylinder case.

Throughout the 18th century, Italy was an important center for the production of decorated Esther scrolls. Megillot created during this period were frequently embellished with delicately colored floral garlands, stylized fruit, and birds, and highlighted with shell gold, as seen in the present lot.  The opening of this scroll is further ornamented with a family emblem depicting two hands spread in the form of the priestly blessing surmounted by a crown and supported by rampant crowned lions.  While the Jews of Italy were not granted formal coats of arms by the ruling authorities, affluent Jewish families adopted heraldic devices and created their own insignias.  They incorporated these informal family emblems on the Judaica they commissioned, such as marriage contracts, silver bookbindings, and synagogue textiles. These insignia were also placed prominently on the opening panel of Esther scrolls.