Decorated Miniature Esther Scroll, [Jerusalem: ca. 1935]

1 Scroll (2¾ x 33 in.; 70 x 840 mm). Ink, gouache and shell gold on parchment. Text written in 11 columns in square Hebrew script ornamented with taggin; each text column enframed by architectural columns and floral motifs, with images of the twelve tribes painted in gold inside oval medallions; Minor flaking of paint above and below the first and second columns not affecting the text. Mounted on a silver roller set with a carnelian and a garnet and fitted with a gold (or gilt - Kevin will determine) band inscribed with the words  "Blessed be Mordechai and cursed be Haman."  Housed in a silver metal box, chased with flowers and scrolling foliage, gilt interior.

The creation of artistic objects that also served to fulfill Jewish ritual purposes is characteristic of the work of those artists who were active in the yishuv before the formal declaration of the State of Israel. The design and imagery of these objects may be clearly traced to the pioneering efforts of Jerusalem's Bezalel School, founded by Boris Schatz in 1906. The biblical text of Esther was a particularly popular subject among the rapidly growing community of decorative artists working in the Land of Israel in the early twentieth century. In this miniature scroll, in addition to a program of decoration that features an abundance of vibrant colors, there is an uncommon portrayal of the popular scene depicting the hanging of Haman's ten sons.

The scroll is mounted on a silver roller, set with a carnelian and a garnet, and fitted with a gilt band inscribed with the words "Blessed be Mordechai and cursed be Haman."  A gilt pull-bar on the scroll is inscribed with the words "And for the Jews there was light and happiness." The scroll is housed in an Indian, late-19th century silver box, chased, with flowers and scrolling foliage and a gilt interior.