Obj. ID: 39242  Tefillin bag, Poland, 1888

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

Religious Jews put on Tefilin - phylacteries - every weekday morning and they were carried to the synagogue for this purpose. To make this transport easier and to protect the Holy objects, the Tefilin were usually placed in a container, most often fashioned from some sort of textile. Such was the custom in most countries where Jews lived.

This Tefilin bag probably originates in Eastern Europe where is was fashioned for either a son or husband. The velvet material is embroidered with birds, flowers and a date in brightly colored wool thread. It is an early date for surviving Eastern European textile objects of this genre. They were almost always embroidered at home by a woman of the house.