Cols. 1 and 2 are flanked by the figures of Ahasuerus, Vashti, and Mordecai. The upper margin features the busts of Mehuman and Biztha, the king's courtiers (Es. 1:10). The roundels in the lower margins feature the narrative scenes of the feast of the king (Es. 1:3-8) and the beheading of Vashti (not mentioned in the biblical text). These are captioned in Hebrew, entitled עשה משתה ("[He] made a feast") and נגזר עליה ("It is destined for her"), respectively.
The roller: 180 mm (height).
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Execution of Vashti - beheading
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | *Esther's Story Characters (depicted not in narrative scenes): | Ahasuerus, the king
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | *Esther's Story Characters (depicted not in narrative scenes): | Vashti, the queen
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | *Esther's Story Characters (depicted not in narrative scenes): | Mordecai, the Jew
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | *Esther's Story Characters (depicted not in narrative scenes): | Mehuman
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | *Esther's Story Characters (depicted not in narrative scenes): | Biztha
P | Portrait | Portrait medallion
B | Bird
L | Lion
V | Vase
O | Ornamentation: | Foliate and floral ornaments | Floral motif
F | Fruits
|
The scroll is preserved in good condition, although it lacks a part of its beginning (the decoration starts with a figure placed before the first text column but it is still complete).
Slight damages in margins are visible.
The roller is slightly damaged.
The Book of Esther in Hebrew
The scroll is formed of a single sheet containing 13 text columns with 32 lines except for col. 11 whch has 11 lines divided into two parts.
The text in the scroll is printed but its prototype was inscribed in the Hebrew Ashkenazi script with tagim.
The letters ח (Es. 1:6) and ת (Es. 9:29) are enlarged. Other enlarged and diminished letters are included in col. 11.
To almost all ל letters appearing in the words המלך occurring at the head of the text columns, a decorative stroke is added.
The text is printed, so the scroll lacks ruling and pricking.
None
Sister copies of the scroll are extant but so far, no details regarding the printing press could be determined.
No bibliography on the scroll is available.
Bibliography on scrolls made by Aryeh Leib ben Daniel of Goray or attributed to him:
Dagmara Budzioch, The Decorated Esther Scrolls from the Museum of the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw and the Tradition of Megillot Esther Decoration in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries – An Outline [Polish: Dekorowane zwoje Estery z Żydowskiego Instytutu Historycznego w Warszawie na tle tradycji dekorowania megilot Ester w XVII i XVIII wieku. Zarys problematyki], Warsaw 2019, 1:206-215.
Victor Klagsbald, Catalogue raisonné de la collection juive du Musée de Cluny, Paris 1981, 64-66, object 73.
Mendel Metzger, The Earliest Engraved Italian Megilloth, Bulletin of the John Rylands Library 1966, 48/2, esp. 409, 422-425.
Ernest Namenyi, "The Illumination of Hebrew Manuscripts after the Invention of Printing," in Cecil Roth (ed.), Jewish Art, an Illustrated History (London, 1961), col. 435.
Olga Sixtova, O svitku / Form of the Scroll [katalog k výstavě konané v Galerii Roberta Guttmanna Židovského muzea v Praze od 22. června do 26. července 2006], Prag 2006, 32-33.
A Journey through Jewish Worlds: Highlights from the Braginsky Collection of Hebrew Manuscripts and Printed Books, eds. Evelyn M. Cohen, Emile Schrijver, Sharon Liberman Mintz, Amsterdam 2009, 246-249.
Schöne Seiten. Jüdische Schriftkultur aus der Braginsky Collection, eds. Emile Schrijver, Falk Wiesemann, Evelyn M. Cohen, Sharon Liberman Mintz, Menahem Schmeltzer, Zurich 2011, 266-269.
A Fine Illustrated Esther Scroll, [ca. 1740], lot 105, Sotheby's New York Important Judaica, 20 December 2017 https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/lot.105.html/2017/important-judaica-n09687 (accessed on 31.07.2020).
A Magnificent Esther Scroll Written and illustrated Aryeh Leib ben Daniel of Goray, Schwelm, 1737, lot 187, Sotheby's New York Important Judaica Including Property from the Estate of Shlomo Moussaieff, 15 December 2016 https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2016/important-judaica-n09589/lot.187.html (accessed on 31.07.2020).