Torah Ark Curtain

Artist Unknown

ca. 1735

Cloth embroidered with columns on either side and building in the middle with turrets and dome, with small Hebrew inscription above.

The embroidered structure in the center of this silk Torah ark curtain is thought to be a loose representation of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, with its six minarets and entryway stairs. A somewhat roughly written Hebrew dedication is wedged above the mosque and between the flanking column; the contrast between this inscription and the otherwise rich, masterful embroidery has led scholars to speculate that this curtain was created for use by Muslims and was only subsequently repurposed for the synagogue.

Credits

The H. Ephraim and Mordecai Benguiat Family Collection / The Jewish Museum, New York.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.

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