Obj. ID: 49777  Scroll of Ruth, Jerusalem, circa 1925

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

This scroll is that of Ruth, with finely detailed decoration, including gold leaf. The scroll was apparently ordered by Mahrein in the 20's. There are a few scrolls known with this type of fine decoration. The Mahrein store in Jerusalem was one of the main tourist and antique stores in the city before the creation of the State in 1948. It seems that the couple who owned it would employ artists who were either studying in or had graduated from the Bezalel School to make illuminated scrolls. Sometimes, as in this case, the scrolls are completely original.  At other times, an existing scribe-written Megillah would be given to the artist to embellish. In many cases Mahrein would create a special case for the scrolls, usually in some quite elaborate form bordering on fantasy, or made from some existing object converted to a scroll case.