Esther scroll, housed in large silver case. [Probably Poland, 19th century].
Ink on parchment; silver (unmarked), repoussé, engraved, and turned.
Ashkenazic script with crownlet decorations (script characteristic of western Poland in the first half of the 19th century), on three parchment membranes. Text of the Book of Esther inscribed in 11 columns, with 39 rows per column. Decoration above first line.
This Esther scroll is housed in a large, cylindrical silver case with silver handle at bottom and a finial in the shape of large, soaring bird on top. The surface is decorated with vegetal patterns – flowers and acanthus leaves – interspersed with architectural ornaments resembling column capitals or Corinthian columns. In terms of its shape and decorative patterns (and especially the bird-shaped finial on top), this silver case bears a strong resemblance to numerous other objects made in Poland and throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century and into the early 20th century.

Height of case: approx. 50 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Height of parchment: 24.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Creases and stains. Several tears. Late corrections to text in a number of places. On last column, correction to several words made on strip of parchment glued to scroll.