A GERMAN SILVER-GILT TORAH SHIELD

cartouche-form, embossed with spiraled columns topped by lions holding a crown, all centered by a window for portion plaques, with one reversible plaque, above an inscribed oval shield, trellis-chased ground, suspending three bells.

This shield was recorded by Theodor Harburger in 1926 in the synagogue of Noerdlingen (see Die inventarisation jüdischer Kunst-und Kulturdenkmäler in Bayern, 1998, vol. 3, p. 623)

New York, Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion, The Collector's Room:  Selections from the Michael and Judy Steinhardt Collection, 1993, no. 65, illus. fig. 9, p. 12

Repaired behind base of columns, a few small tears in rim, especially near base.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The plaque is engraved: "The esteemed priest Samuel Joseph Ezekiel, of blessed memory, and his wife Feygl, may she remain among the living, in the year 509 (1749)."

After expulsion in 1507, a new Jewish community was organized in Noerdlingen in 1870, with a new synagogue dedicated in 1885; the community was 489 people in 1899.  The Jewish population dwindled in the 20th century, with only 186 remaning in 1933, and a further 145 of these left before 1942.  The mayor of Noerdlingen prevented the destruction of the synagogue in 1938, but it was sold in 1952 to a Protestant group for use as a community center.