Isfahan Synagogue, Persia

16th Century

Faience-tile mosaic of floral designs throughout, two lines of Hebrew text at the top, and three niches at bottom. — The use of wall niches for Torah scrolls was a feature of some of the earliest synagogues and continues today in Mizrahi communities. This striking faience-tile mosaic structure would have decorated a wall with three such niches, corresponding to three different scrolls that might be used for reading Torah portions on certain holidays. It is believed to have been part of a large synagogue in Isfahan at a time when the Jewish community there was at its height of prominence. Two verses decorate the top of the mosaic: Psalm 118:20 and Psalm 5:8. Rich vegetative shapes form complex patterns in the background, contrasting with the light-blue borders.

The use of wall niches for Torah scrolls was a feature of some of the earliest synagogues and continues today in Mizrahi communities. This striking faience-tile mosaic structure would have decorated a wall with three such niches, corresponding to three different scrolls that might be used for reading Torah portions on certain holidays. It is believed to have been part of a large synagogue in Isfahan at a time when the Jewish community there was at its height of prominence. Two verses decorate the top of the mosaic: Psalms 118:20 and Psalms 5:8. Rich vegetative shapes form complex patterns in the background, contrasting with the light-blue borders.

Credits

Portion of a Synagogue Wall. Gift of Adele and Harry G. Friedman, Lucy and Henry Moses, Miriam Schaar Schloesinger, Florence Sutro Anspacher, Lucille and Samuel Lemberg, John S. and Florence Lawrence, Louis A. Oresman, and Khalil Rabenou / The Jewish Museum, New York.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.