Pair of Torah finials. The Far East [probably China, late 19th or early 20th century].
Cast silver, soldered, repoussé and engraved (unmarked).
Pair of Torah finials, each consisting of three parts soldered one to the other: a cylindrical shaft, a somewhat squat, quasi-spherical body, and a large, bud-shaped ornament at the apex. The body is adorned with a pattern of branches with leaves and flowers of a type which also appears on Torah cases from the Far East, specifically India, Burma, and China. Ten chains with bells at their ends dangle from the tops of the bodies of each finial. The apical ornament is bud-shaped and reminiscent of a lotus flower.
The collection of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, includes two Torah cases used by the Iraqi-Jewish community of Calcutta (today Kolkata), India, but made in China (item nos. B94.0540, B94.0656). The decorative patterns on these Torah cases is quite similar to those on the Torah finials presented here.

Height: 18 cm. Good condition.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 050.001.103.
This pair of Torah finials is documented on the Center for Jewish Art (CJA) website, item no. 37159.