Obj. ID: 38115
Illuminated Manuscripts JMNY Hand-Painted Esther Scroll Based on the Scrolls with Landscapes, Germany (?), 18th century
The opening decoration of the scroll consists of six panels with the narrative scenes from the Book of Esther and in the center, an empty oval medallion is placed. The Hebrew text of the book is surrounded by hand-painted decorations including heroes of the Purim story, putti, land- and cityscapes, columns, baskets and vases filled with flowers and fruits, and garlands of fruits.
The ornamentation of this scroll is partly based on the printed borders adorning scrolls produced in Amsterdam in the early 18th century (see "Related objects"). The resemblance between their patterns mainly lies in the opening decoration, landscapes (although in this scroll they are placed in the upper and lower margins and they do not repeat), and in figures of putti supporting baskets with flowers.
Corrections are made with a pencil; one of them is in the upper margin above col. 5.
sub-set tree: 
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Esther story protagonists
L | Landscape
V | Vase | Vase with flowers
B | Basket | Basket with flowers
G | Garland
C | Columns
P | Putto (Putti in Plural)
A | Acanthus Leaf
F | Fruits
O | Ornamentation: | Fruit Festoon
C | City
|
Length of the sheets in the scroll: 1) ca. 565 mm, 2) 395 mm.
An average letter in the scroll is 1 mm high and the spaces between the lines of the text are 1,5 mm.
The membranes are preserved in satisfactory condition, but they are crumpled and discolorations can be seen on them.
The decorations are seriously damaged especially on the opening section of the scroll.
In general, the lower margins are preserved in worse condition than the upper margins.
The text is well preserved.
The Book of Esther in Hebrew
The scroll is formed of 2 sheets, in total containing 11 columns of text with 29 lines each, except for col. 9 which has 11 lines divided into two half-columns.
The first sheet contains 6 columns of text and the second sheet contains 5 columns.
The text is written in Hebrew square script with tagin in brown ink on parchment membranes that are rather thin, delicate, and slightly suede on the blank side.
The letters ח (Es. 1:6) and ת (Es. 9:29) are enlarged and bolded. Other enlarged and diminished letters are included in col. 9.
The letters of the opening word and the four letters of the name of God are enlarged and bolded.
The ruling - upper and lower horizontal lines - is made with a hard point.
The pricking is invisible.
The membranes in the scroll are glued together.
None
No bibliography on the scroll is available.