Img. ID: 341417
The first sheet of the scroll contains the opening illustration and the first two columns of the text.
On the right, before the first column of the text, a framed square illustration depicts the feast of the king (Es. 1:3-8). On the right, the crowned King Ahasuerus sits on the throne under a canopy, with a scepter in his hand. On the left, a table laden with food is spread before the king.
The scroll is preserved in very good condition.
Slight damage is visible at the beginning and end of the scroll.
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 this scroll's other printing in the Index, illustrations incorporated in this scroll resemble "illustrations made at this time for haggadot, the birkat ha-mazon, minhagim books and tzeena ureena story books".
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.
http://collections.jewishmuseum.cz/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/221263 (accessed on 7.11.2020).