Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
Torah Shield and Pair of Finials from Szeged's First Synagogue in Its Early Years – Silversmith Franz Lorenz Turinksy – Vienna, 1804
Opening: $10,000
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000
Unsold
Torah shield and pair of finials from the Jewish community of Szeged, made by the silversmith Franz Lorenz Turinsky. Vienna, 1804.
Silver, cast, repoussé, die-stamped and engraved; marked: hallmarks of Vienna and maker's mark (FLT).
The center of the shield is occupied by Tablets of the Law (blank), beneath curtains drawn to the sides, surmounted by a large crown. A pair of lions rampant, langued, support the crown with one paw and the curtains with the other. On the lower part of the shield, an opening for displaying interchangeable plaques (with one plaque: "Chag Shemini Atzeret / Chag HaSukkot"). Lower edge of opening inscribed: "Szegedi izr. Hitközség" (Jewish Community of Szeged). Original chains.
Finials with round, domed bases engraved with foliate design. Cylindrical shafts with decorative band at center, hung with bells and topped with a spherical ornament of which the top half is crown-shaped and the bottom half is goblet-shaped and decorated with branches and leaves. Both finials inscribed at base: "Szegedi izr. Hitközség".
The Jewish community of Szeged, Hungary was formed only in 1781. Its first synagogue was built in 1803, and the present shield and finials, which bear an identical inscription, were apparently amongst the first sacred objects dedicated to the synagogue and used by the community. Before the outbreak of WWII, the community numbered 4161, but most perished in the Holocaust.
Franz Lorenz Turinsky (ca. 1757 – 1829) was a master silversmith in late 18th and early 19th centuries Vienna. He joined the silversmiths' guild in 1789 and was active until 1828. Other Judaica items he produced, including primarily finials and Torah shields can be found in various private and museum collections throughout the world (such as the Jewish Museum, Vienna and the Jewish Museum, New York). There are records of two other pairs of finials produced by Turinsky in 1806.
For other items by Turinsky and more information about him, see: Center for Jewish Art, items 37219, 4002 (the Bill Gross collection); Crowning Glory, item 322; Pierre Berge auction catalog (June 2015), item 15.
Height of shield: 32 cm. Width: 25 cm. Several ornaments broken or lacking. Without cover of plaque compartment. Height of finials: approx. 32 cm, diameter of base: 14 cm. Breaks and bends. One finial tilts sideways. Lacking hook and bell. One bell detached. Soldering repairs. Lacking ornaments at top of finials.
Provenance: Collection of Rabbi Tamás Raj.
Silver, cast, repoussé, die-stamped and engraved; marked: hallmarks of Vienna and maker's mark (FLT).
The center of the shield is occupied by Tablets of the Law (blank), beneath curtains drawn to the sides, surmounted by a large crown. A pair of lions rampant, langued, support the crown with one paw and the curtains with the other. On the lower part of the shield, an opening for displaying interchangeable plaques (with one plaque: "Chag Shemini Atzeret / Chag HaSukkot"). Lower edge of opening inscribed: "Szegedi izr. Hitközség" (Jewish Community of Szeged). Original chains.
Finials with round, domed bases engraved with foliate design. Cylindrical shafts with decorative band at center, hung with bells and topped with a spherical ornament of which the top half is crown-shaped and the bottom half is goblet-shaped and decorated with branches and leaves. Both finials inscribed at base: "Szegedi izr. Hitközség".
The Jewish community of Szeged, Hungary was formed only in 1781. Its first synagogue was built in 1803, and the present shield and finials, which bear an identical inscription, were apparently amongst the first sacred objects dedicated to the synagogue and used by the community. Before the outbreak of WWII, the community numbered 4161, but most perished in the Holocaust.
Franz Lorenz Turinsky (ca. 1757 – 1829) was a master silversmith in late 18th and early 19th centuries Vienna. He joined the silversmiths' guild in 1789 and was active until 1828. Other Judaica items he produced, including primarily finials and Torah shields can be found in various private and museum collections throughout the world (such as the Jewish Museum, Vienna and the Jewish Museum, New York). There are records of two other pairs of finials produced by Turinsky in 1806.
For other items by Turinsky and more information about him, see: Center for Jewish Art, items 37219, 4002 (the Bill Gross collection); Crowning Glory, item 322; Pierre Berge auction catalog (June 2015), item 15.
Height of shield: 32 cm. Width: 25 cm. Several ornaments broken or lacking. Without cover of plaque compartment. Height of finials: approx. 32 cm, diameter of base: 14 cm. Breaks and bends. One finial tilts sideways. Lacking hook and bell. One bell detached. Soldering repairs. Lacking ornaments at top of finials.
Provenance: Collection of Rabbi Tamás Raj.
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets