Pair of Torah finials (in Hebrew, "tapuhim" or "rimmonim"). Morocco, [probably the Tafilalt region, 19th century].
Silver, cast and pierced; chased; gilt; brass, cast and engraved; glass stones.
A pair of Torah finials adorned with vegetal patterns (some chased, others cast), pierced ornaments, and colored glass stones. The bodies of the finials each consist of two decorated silver plates connected by a decorated widthwise central band (probably made of brass) that imparts a dimension of depth to the objects. Supported by long, cylindrical shafts with broad bases.
This pair of Torah finials beautifully typifies a model familiar to us from the regions of Tafilalt and Sefrou in the 19th and 20th centuries. The pair presented here is the product of a high standard of craftsmanship; the shafts are chased with precision, and the bodies are fitted with colored glass stones, the largest of them in red and green, as typical of Moroccan silversmithing.
Rare. Only a handful of Moroccan "tapuhim" of this type are known.

Height: 26.5 cm. Numerous soldering repairs. Missing glass stones. Warping. One of side ornaments broken. Bell chains missing. One apical ornament reconstructed.

See: Jewish Life in Morocco, edited by Aviva Müller-Lancet. Jerusalem, the Israel Museum, 1983, item no. B63.11.3282 (a-b) (Hebrew).
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, item no. 050.001.050.
This pair of Torah finials is documented on the Center for Jewish Art (CJA) website, item no. 341910.