Torah Binder (Rechnitz)
This richly decorated Torah binder is thought to be from Rechnitz, based on its dedication as a gift from Gitl bat Samuel for Samuel ben Leib of Rechnitz in 1750. The Torah binder (also known as a wimpel) was intended to accompany the male child through his lifetime, through the stages of his circumcision, bar mitzvah, and wedding. The associated Hebrew blessing is spelled out on the binder itself, with the bar mitzvah and wedding ceremonies graphically embroidered in silk and metal thread. A figure holds up a Torah scroll with the verse: “She [the Torah] is a tree of life to those who hold fast to her, and whoever holds on to her is happy” (Proverbs 3:18), while to his left a couple stands under a huppah, a wedding canopy, supported by four men.
Credits
With permission of the Jewish Museum in Prague.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.
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Related Guide
Early Modern Visual and Material Culture
1500–1750
Early modern Jewish visual culture flourished, with illuminated manuscripts, ornate synagogues, and portraiture alongside increasing non-Jewish interest in Jewish customs and greater Jewish self-representation.
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