Torah pointer, with a plaque bearing a dedicatory inscription. Shanghai, China, [first decades of the 20th century].
Silver (marked), cast, lathed, and engraved (pointer with maker’s mark of Zee Sung, who was active in Shanghai in the first half of the 20th century; dedicatory inscription marked with Chinese mark).
Long, slender Torah pointer, gently tapering toward end point. Most of the length of the shaft is encircled by pairs of incised bands reminiscent of the bands on a bamboo reed; such a decorative pattern also appears on the handles of Esther scroll cases from China. Suspended from the loop at the handle end of the pointer is a plaque, shaped like a shield, with a pattern of branches and leaves, and with an engraved inscription in the middle: "For the eternal rest of … Yosef Rahamim Eliyahu, may he find rest in Eden". In all likelihood, this Torah pointer was used by members of one of the Iraqi-Jewish communities of the Far East – either China, India, or Burma.

Length of pointer: 30.5 cm. Dedicatory plaque: 5X6 cm. Good condition.

Reference: Haggadah de Pessah, En hommage aux Juifs d'Inde. Lod, 2010, pp. 82-83.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 052.001.117.
This pair of Torah finials is documented on the Center for Jewish Art (CJA) website, item no. 37277.