Home
   Under Reconstruction!
Object Alone

Obj. ID: 35190
Jewish printed books
  GFC Paper Esther Scroll Illustrated with Woodcuts, Prague, ca. 1775

© Gross Family Collection, Photographer: Bar Hama, Ardon, -

In this paper Esther scroll, both text and illustrations are printed in black ink. The illustrations feature a rather naive style and they were created with woodblocks, a technique only rarely represented in megillot Esther. All of them directly represent the Purim story except for the illustration at the top of the 8th column of the text. The scroll opens with a representation of the Ahasuerus' feast (Es. 1:3-8) and finishes with the depiction of Esther and Mordecai writing the Purim letter (Es. 9:29); these two fill the same space as an average column of text, but all other illustrations are smaller. Other scenes show the reading of the chronicles to the king (Es. 6:1), the triumph of Mordecai (Es. 6:11), hanging of Haman (Es. 7:10), and Esther before the king (unclear to which particular verse it alludes). Below the final column of the text, a tailpiece with floral motifs is placed.

Summary and Remarks

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".

Remarks

6 image(s)

sub-set tree:

Name/Title
GFC Paper Esther Scroll Illustrated with Woodcuts | Unknown
Object Detail
Monument Setting
Unknown
Date
ca. 1775
Synagogue active dates
Reconstruction dates
Artist/ Maker
Unknown
Historical Origin
Unknown
Community type
Unknown |
Congregation
Unknown
Location
Unknown |
Site
Unknown
School/Style
Unknown|
Period
Unknown
Period Detail
Collection
Documentation / Research project
Unknown
Textual Content
Unknown |
Languages of inscription
Unknown
Shape / Form
Unknown
Material / Technique
Text and illustrations printed on paper
Material Stucture
Material Decoration
Material Bonding
Material Inscription
Material Additions
Material Cloth
Material Lining
Tesserae Arrangement
Density
Colors
Construction material
Measurements
The scroll: 133x1980 mm.
Height
Length
Width
Depth
Circumference
Thickness
Diameter
Weight
Axis
Panel Measurements
Condition

The scroll is preserved in very good condition.

Extant
Documented by CJA
Surveyed by CJA
Present Usage
Present Usage Details
Condition of Building Fabric
Architectural Significance type
Historical significance: Event/Period
Historical significance: Collective Memory/Folklore
Historical significance: Person
Architectural Significance: Style
Architectural Significance: Artistic Decoration
Urban significance
Significance Rating
0
Ornamentation
Custom
Contents

The Book of Esther in Hebrew

Codicology

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.

Scribes
Script
Number of Lines
Ruling
Pricking
Quires
Catchwords
Hebrew Numeration
Blank Leaves
Direction/Location
Façade (main)
Endivances
Location of Torah Ark
Location of Apse
Location of Niche
Location of Reader's Desk
Location of Platform
Temp: Architecture Axis
Arrangement of Seats
Location of Women's Section
Direction Prayer
Direction Toward Jerusalem
Coin
Coin Series
Coin Ruler
Coin Year
Denomination
Signature
Colophon

None

Scribal Notes
Watermark
Hallmark
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Trade Mark
Binding
Decoration Program
Suggested Reconsdivuction
History/Provenance
Main Surveys & Excavations
Sources

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.

Type
Documenter
Dagmara Budzioch | 2020
Author of description
Dagmara Budzioch | 2020
Architectural Drawings
|
Computer Reconstruction
|
Section Head
|
Language Editor
|
Donor
|
Negative/Photo. No.
The following information on this monument will be completed:
Unknown |