Obj. ID: 38114 JMNY Esther Scroll with Polylobed Text Panels, Italy, 18th century
The length of the sheets in the scroll: 1) ca. 680 mm, 2) 660 mm, 3) 665 mm, 4) 135 mm.
Dimensions of the selected details in the scroll:
- text panels: 110x90 mm;
- decorations in the upper and lower margins: ca. 40 mm.
The roller: ca. 400 mm (hight).
The state of preservation of the manuscript is quite varied. Half of the first membrane is preserved very poorly; the ink is flaked off, there are some water or moisture damages, and the text is barely visible. Also, the fourth membrane is rather damaged. The rest of the scroll is in good condition.
The Hebrew text of the Book of Esther is written in polylobed text panels formed of ten semicircles each. Such text panels can be rarely found in decorated megillot Esther. The spaces between them are filled with floral decorations. The upper and lower margins are separated from the rest of the decorations with a bold line. Both margins are filled with the same repeating pattern of flowers and ornament. All motifs in the scroll are executed solely in brown ink.
The scroll is mounted on a wooden roller.
The Book of Esther in Hebrew
The scroll is formed of 4 sheets, containing in total 19 text panels with 20 "columns" of the text of 21-23 lines each, except for "col." 17 with 11 lines divided into two half-columns.
The first three sheets contain 6 text panels (with 19 "columns"), and the last sheet contains a single panel.
Every panel contains a single text "column", except for the 16th with two "columns".
The text is inscribed in Hebrew Italian square script, in brown ink of different shades, on the flesh side of the thick, stiff parchment membranes. It seems originally both sides of the membranes were similar.
The lines of the text fit the shape of the panels, therefore they are of different lengths.
The letter ח (Es. 1:6) is barely visible. The letter ת (Es. 9:29) is slightly bolded and larger than an average letter in the scroll. Other enlarged and diminished letters are included in "col." 17.
The ruling and pricking are invisible.
The membranes in the scroll are stitched together.
None
It seems that in some places, over the original text a second layer of the ink was placed; this may explain differences in the shades of the ink. At the same time, in many places, the shade of ink in which the text was copied is identical to the shade of ink in which decorations were executed, which this may suggest that both - the text and decorations - were done by the same person.
No bibliography on the manuscript is available.