Img. ID: 332847
Sheet no. 6 includes two columns of text (nos. 13 and 14) and the final illustration. Below the final column of the text, there is a tailpiece with floral motifs.
The scroll ends with a framed square illustration showing possibly Mordecai with another scribe with the Purim letters ready (Es. 9:29). They are seated at a table in the bottom right corner of the illustration, while three men (the king's messengers?) are standing on the left (Es. 9:30). An enthroned and crowned figure - possibly Queen Esther - is depicted in the upper right corner of the illustration.
O | Ornamentation: | Full page framed
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Messenger(s) delivering the letter to all provinces (Es. 9:30)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Mordecai writing the Purim letter (Es. 9:29)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | *Esther's Story Characters (depicted not in narrative scenes): | Esther enthroned
|
The scroll is preserved in very good condition.
The Book of Esther in Hebrew
The scroll is formed of 6 paper sheets containing 16 columns of the text. Some columns contain narrative illustrations, so the number of lines of text in each column varies.
Every sheet in the scroll contains three columns of text and/or illustrations.
The text is printed but it features the practices commonly employed in both decorated and undecorated handwritten megillot, such as the names of Haman's sons (Es. 9:6-10) copied in 11 lines divided into two parts, highlighted letters forming the Tetragrammaton, and enlarged letters ח (Es. 1:6) and ת (Es. 9:29).
The opening word of the book is printed in enlarged and bolded letters.
The sheets in the scroll are glued together.
None
Hand-decorated and printed paper scrolls are very rare.
Only one exemplar featuring the same illustrations has been located so far (see "Related objects").
As was noticed by William Gross, the owner of the scroll, illustrations incorporated in this scroll resemble "illustrations made at this time for haggadot, the birkat ha-mazon, minhagim books and tzeena ureena story books".
Another exemplar of the scroll sharing the same illustrations is mentioned in:
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], Praha 2006, 42.