Obj. ID: 35784  Almudena Cathedral Decorated Esther Scroll, Italy, 17th/18th centuries

The text of the Book of Esther in Hebrew is inscribed within the decorative architectural frame. It is composed of arches that vary in width; wider panels are placed alternately with narrower ones. The text panels are interspersed by double columns standing on common bases. The upper margins are adorned with cornices decorated with female masks holding two garlands each (placed above narrower panels) and elongated cartouches filled with ornaments (placed above wider panels). The lower margins - which are narrower than the upper ones - are filled with columns' bases and the spaces between them are not decorated and are painted solely with multicolored paints. The same pattern repeats over the entire length of the scroll and is unique for this megillah.