Obj. ID: 3490
Sacred and Ritual Objects  Torah finials, Tunisia, early 20th century

Finials shaped as prismatic towers, formed of lace-like openwork, similar to our finials are common in North Africans communities. However, the depiction of Sanctuary Implements on sacred objects is characteristic to the Italian Jewish artifacts and was introduced to the Tunisian visual vocabulary by Jews from North Italy, who immigrated to Tunis, and established there 'the Leghorns' community, known as Granah. A comparison between the Implements attached to local Tunisian finials and those produced inItaly reveals that some implements were cast inItaly and were attached to Tunisian finials (Sc_096-21), while others are typical to the local production and were designed and cast by Tunisian silversmiths. 

The depiction of the Laver and Basin represented as a hand pouring water from a jar, attests to an Italian model. After the destruction of the Temple, the traditional duties of the Priests (Cohen) and the Levites were adjusted to their new role conducted in the synagogue. Consequently, the Levites were required to heed the purity of the Priests prior the ceremony, and pour water on their hands and legs. This new task was first mentioned in the kabalistic book of Zohar (Ra'aya Meheimana, 3 (Lev.), BeHar, page 109a), and was adopted by Joseph Caro, in his halachic book Shulhan Aruch (Orah Hayim, 128:6). Caro determined the role as part of various obligations required to be conducted before the Priestly Benediction in the synagogue.

In the book Hebrew Printers' Marks (fig. 7, p. 6) Abraham Ya'ari conveys that the earliest visual depiction of the theme was part of a collective Printers' Mark representing a group of printers active in Prague in 1512. Two of them R. Isaiah Ben Rabbi Asher and R. Salomon Ben Rabbi Samuel, were part of HaLevi family, and accordingly they depicted two lavers as their family emblem, alluding to the Levite's common role in the synagogue. Since then, the Levites' emblem became prevalent all overEurope, decorating tombstones, sacred objects and coat of arms.

The emblem was not part of the traditional visual language of the local Djerbian Jews, yet it is found on the finials. Their design as a hand pouring water, is typical to the depiction on the Italian finials, and may demonstrate the Italian influence on the local production.

Moreover, this type of finials was not very common in the Djerba. Since there was no Leghorn community but one Jewish Italian family (Priante) in the Island, it is most probable that the implements on the finials penetrated the local design via the capital city Tunis.

The most noteworthy implement, which demonstrates the local Djerbian production, is the menorah. The menorah depicted on our finial consists of five branches, and not the traditional seven branches. By replacing the seven branches with the five branches, the silversmith combined the Jewish conventional attribute with the Islamic hamsa, namely the Islamic open hand. Such five branched menorot are regarded as apotropeic emblems, painted on the external walls of a new married couple, accompanied by fish and an open hand (hamsa), against the evil eye, for good luck and fertility. Depictions as such are prevalent in the Islamic non-Jewish environment in the Island. Nevertheless, they are comprised only of fish and hamsa, thus distinguishing between a Jewish dwelling identified by a menorah, and an Islamic one, which lacks the symbol.  

Another motif which is never included in the array of implements in Italy or in Tunis is the Star of David (see: main photograph). The Star enclosing the word "Zion" conveys the new Zionists spirits in Djerba. Such Stars were also introduced to the synagogues, as part of the decorations identifying each window with a tribe.