Torah Ark Curtain (Venice)

1680/1

Cloth with embroidered image of tablets in clouds above mountain and city. — This Torah ark curtain from Venice was made by Simḥah, the wife of Menachem Levi Meshuallami, a member of a prominent family in the Venice ghetto. It is embroidered in silk and silk-metallic thread and is edged with a metallic fringe. It is remarkable for the intricacy of its finely ornate gold vines, set against a brilliant backdrop of lavender, running along its border and surrounding a central panel. This central panel depicts a detailed map of Jerusalem, above which sits a mountain, the tablets of the Covenant, and a group of clouds above them. These decorative motifs would have been typical of many textiles created by women of the congregation and used in the synagogue, such as for Torah binders. They are also representative of the Baroque style. A Hebrew inscription cites the name of its creator.

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Gift of Professor Neppi Modona, Florence, through Dr. Harry G. Friedman / The Jewish Museum, New York.

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

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Venice, Venice (Venice, Italy)

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Faience-tile mosaic of floral designs throughout, two lines of Hebrew text at the top, and three niches at bottom.

Torah Ark Curtain (Venice)

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