A HIGHLY IMPORTANT PARCEL-GILT SILVER AND ENAMEL TORAH SHIELD, SIGNED AND DATED IN HEBREW ELIMELEKH TZOREF OF STANISLAV, 1782

A HIGHLY IMPORTANT PARCEL-GILT SILVER AND ENAMEL TORAH SHIELD, SIGNED AND DATED IN HEBREW ELIMELEKH TZOREF OF STANISLAV, 1782

composed as follows:

the front pierced silver-gilt overlay formed of chased strapwork enclosing fantastic animals with leafy tails, at the base a pair of birds flanking a spray of fruit; the columns topped by baskets of flowers and fruit and terminating in crouching lions, modeled in relief and applied with figures of Moses and Aaron, the latter with enameled breastplate, surrounded by six plaquettes of a bear, sheep, ox, deer, leopard, and an elephant with howdah; all centered by the Tablets of the Law with niello inscriptions, below an openwork crown set with faceted howdah pastes, all within chased silver border of overlapping leaves

the back superbly engraved with Blessing of Isaac within a high rococo architectural framework, topped with the Binding of Isaac, two applied lion masks holding the chain, the base engraved with a Levite washing the hands of Cohen

engraved across the base in Hebrew with maker's name and date, stamped twice at base with Austrian control mark for Lemberg (Lvov) 1806-07

height 8 in.

20.3 cm