Obj. ID: 567
Sacred and Ritual Torah case (Iraq, 1938)
The wooden Torah case consists of a body and a crown.
The cylindrical body is covered with silver sheets decorated with foliate cartouches forming a rhomboid network each bearing a flower. The upper and lower borders are encircled by friezes bearing a dedicatory inscription. The body's upper border is surmounted by a lily-like crenellation.
The case is opened by two silver hook clasps. There are two pairs of hinges at the back. The inner face is covered with cotton ansd silk fabric waven in geometrical pattern. The onion-shaped crown consists of a main section, a crest and an apex.
The main section is covered with silver sheets, decorated with foliate cartouches each bearing a flower.
The undulating crest is mounted over the crown. The crest is decorated with strips of a foliate pattern alternating with plain strips. A wide ring bearing an oval pattern, encircles its centre. The crest is surmounted by a bud-shaped apex. Ten rings are fixed around the centre of the crest, carrying chains with slit, drop-shaped bells.
Two iron rimon mounts are fixed on the crown. Two gilded silver plaques bearing dedicatory inscription are attached to the crown inner face. The plaques are decorated with floral motif, and the inscription apears in arches. below them are two gilded silver strips of inscription chaised in filled letters and reads: "וזאת התורה אשר שם משה לפני##בני ישראל אלה העדת והחקים )דברים ד,מ"ד-מ"ה(" Deut. 4:44-45.
The dedicatory inscription on the body starts at the upper border. It is chaised in filled letters and reads from the front of the case: "תיק זה וס"ת)וספר תורה( שבו עשו אותו האחים היקרים## למנו')=למנוחת( אחותם הבתו')לה( טובה בת עזרא אשת סאלם נ"ע)=נוחו עדן("
"This case and the Torah Scroll (Int.) inside it is made by her dear brothers##for the repose of (Int.) their sister virgin Tova daughter of Ezra Asher Salam May she rest in Eden (Int.)
The inscription continues on the lower border, reading from the front: "על מנת בכל מקום שנירצו בעלי ס"ת)=ספר תורה( הנ"ל)=הנזכר למעלה( להוצי)א(##ולהניחוהו למקומת אחרים הרשב"י)=הרשות בידם( וביבכ"ח)=ובידי באי כוחם(" "For anywhere that the owners of this Torh would like to take##and put it in other places they and their attornys have the permission(Int.)"
The dedicatory inscription upon the inner face of the crown is written in filled letters, on six lines, and reads from the right: "וזאת## התורה אשר##שם משה לפנב')=לפני בני(##ישראל אלה החקי')ם(##והמשפטים והתו')רה(##אשר נתן ה' )דברים ד,מד-מה(" Deut. 4:44-45
Continues on the left side of the crown:
