Obj. ID: 10511
Sacred and Ritual Objects  Torah finials, Tunisia, 1942-1988

The pair of tower-shaped rimon are made of silver, gilded silver and brass and consists of a shaft, a body and an apex. ##The cylindrical shaft is supported by a round, raised base. A ring encircles the bottom and the head of the shaft The base is decorated with a band of a floral pattern. ##The shaft of each rimon bears a different inscription. The body consists of three sections, diminishing in volume towards the top. The main section is mounted over a bowl-shaped base and is surmounted by an undulating collar.The main section has six rectangular facets. Each facet is pierced with a blocked semi-circulated window. Six chains carrying bells hang from the facets' joints. The bottom of the body is decorated with a whorl of leaves, while the centre of this section bears of floral pattern. The main section is decorated with a network of scrolls and floral patterns. The windows are blocked by the tabernacles^implements~.The first window bears the tables^of^the^covenant~, with the inscription: א%ה ב%ו ג%ז ד%ח The first eight letters of the Hebrew alphabet .##The second window bears a five^branched^menorah~. The third one bears a pitcher, from which water is being poured over a hand, recalling the washing of the Levites' hands. The fifth window bears an amphora.The sixth window bears the high^priest's^mitre. The undulating collar is decorated with a band of a floral pattern at the top. The bud-shaped apex is mounted over a floral circlet. The dedicatory inscription is engraved on the shaft in square characters filled by a zig-zag line, reading vertically towards the body. On the first of the pair it reads: קל!ה )=קודש לה'( לזכר נש!מ)ת( שמעון בן יצחק יזדי ה' כסלו ש')נת( תרצ!ח שושנה בת יצחק יזדי !Dedicated to the Lord (int.) in memory of the soul of Simeon the son of Isaac Yazdi, the 5th of Kislev of the year (int.) (5)698=(1938) Shoshanah daughter of Isaac Yazdi! the inscription on the second rimon reads: קל!ה )=קודש לה'( ולזכר נש!מ)ת( שושנה בת יצחק יזדי כ!ח אב ש')נת( תש!ח שמעון בן יצחק יזדי !Dedicated to the Lord (int.) and in memory of the soul of Shoshanah daughter of Isaac Yazdi, the 28th of Av of the year (int.) (5)708=(1948), Simeon son of Isaac Yazdi!