Obj. ID: 461
Sacred and Ritual Objects  Torah finials, Odessa, 1891

The undulating Torah finial consists of a shaft, a body, a head and an apex. The tapering cylindrical shaft is smooth and is encircled at the bottom by a ring.

The undulating body is composed of a bowl shaped base decorated with vertical leaves that radiate from the center. The base is surmounted by a compressed convex unit which bears six medallions on each finial. The medallions depict: Noah's Ark as a boat-house, a goat, a deer, an elephant, a lion, and a fish. All the animals face the left. A concave unit surmounts the bottom, is composed of an openwork weave that creates cartouches decorated with flowers and leaves in the center. A stepped dome surmounts the unit. It is encircled by strips, the top of which is decorated with leaves. Hooks for bells are attached to the top and bottom parts of the body.

A crown shaped head is mounted over the body. It is composed of six arms in the shape of acanthus leaves. A floral circlet tops the head and bears a bird shaped apex.