A PAIR OF DUTCH PARCEL-GILT SILVER TORAH FINIALS

of hexagonal tower form, the bombé lower tier with bell-hung cartouches, crown finials topped by buds, the staves stamped with AJ HS owner's mark and LH 11 (Lange Houtstraat synagogue).

Amsterdam Jewish Historical Society, Lange Houtstraat Synagogue, sold
Sotheby's New York, December 13, 2006, lot 108

Repaired at base of bodies. One lacks 6 bells, the other 7. Several bells replaced. Both lack a row of screw-in small finials at the shoulders, tops of crowns straightened.
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.

In 1726 the burial society Gemiluth Chassadim began holding services in a structure on the Lange Houtstraat.  This building was acquired by the Jewish Community in 1809 and rebuilt in 1894.  The new building, designed by G.B. Salm, had places for 181 men and 19 women.  In 1930, ownership passed back to the Society.  After the Second World War, the entire heavily damaged district, including the synagogue, was demolished.

These finials are almost identical to a pair by Willem Rosier (born 1707, active 1725-1775) in the collection of Temple Eman-El, New York; see Cissy Grossman, A Temple Treasury, no. 19, pp. 50-51; the date is given as Amsterdam 1717, but must be 1766 for both the style and Rosier's dates.  Rosier was one of the most important suppliers to the Amsterdam Jewish community, delivering at least six pairs of finials between about 1765 and his death in 1775.