Beschreibung:

HEBREW MANUSCRIPT. Esther Scroll. Illustrated Megillat Esther, probably Hamburg, c. 1750. Hand-painted on vellum, 4 membranes, 155 mm. high. 19 columns, (110 x 80 mm.) of 22 lines. Mounted on wooden, cylindrical revolving case with handle and pull-bar. Good condition overall, cellophane tape strips adhere scroll to pull-bar. The megillah's charming folk-style border opens with a framed and crowned blessing panel containing the benedictions (originally inscribed in gold letters) recited before the reading of the scroll. Twisted architectural columns, drawn alternately in green and bordeaux, separate the megillah's framed text panels. Lively miniature portraits of the narrative's main characters, several of which (including Haman's horse!) are identified by inscription, top the columns. Scrolled floral motifs further embellish the upper and lower borders. The scroll's initial word is written in large, bordeaux-colored letters. The tetragram (formed by the initial or final letters of consecutive words) is indicated with delicate tagin .