Urbino Synagogue, Italy
ca. 1500
Image
This Torah ark, installed in a synagogue in the Italian town of Urbino, is a fine example of Renaissance Judaica. Carved from walnut in the early sixteenth century, the ark belonged to the Sephardic community in Urbino, Italy, which had grown significantly as a result of the migration of Spanish Jews after the 1492 expulsion. The ark features pilasters in both of its tiersas well as decorative doors. The ark was refurbished in 1624; changes included additional gilding, rhymed verses, and a coat of teal paint.
Credits
Torah Ark. The H. Ephraim and Mordecai Benguiat Family Collection / The Jewish Museum, New York.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.