[Ashkenazic Esther scroll].
[מגלת אסתר אשכנזית].

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Contributor:

Barney and Eleanor Frommer Memorial Fund.

Standardized Title:

Bible. Esther

תנ"ך. אסתר.

Language:

Hebrew

Subjects (All):

Bible. Esther--16th century--Manuscripts--Specimens.

Bible.

Genre:

Manuscripts, Hebrew -- 16th century.

scrolls (information artifacts)

Manuscripts, Renaissance.

Manuscripts, European.

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Kedem Auctions, 18 January 2022.

Physical Description:

1 roll (3 membranes) : parchment ; 10 x 74 cm + case (11 cm)

Place of Publication:

[Germany?], [between 1550 and 1599?].

[גרמניה?], [בין 1550-1599?].

Language Note:

Hebrew.

Summary:

Esther scroll on parchment, written across three large membranes, written according to the 16th century Ashkenazic custom.

Notes:

Ms. roll.

Title supplied by cataloger.

Decoration: Lettercrowns on the column of the sons of Haman traced, with extra loops on letters in that column.

Support: Parchment membranes joined in a double-fold pattern, sewed with thin cord, and then adhered on verso with parchment adhesion (in the Ashkenazic custom).

Origin: Written in Germany, during the sixteenth century (script, custom).

Item worn, with ink in some places browned; outer surface darkened at beginning of scroll.

Housed in a round leather case with two metal clasps, originally with two fitting caps (one remaining); each clasp with a twisting lock; case interior of painted stock paper; case circa 19th century.

Layout: Written in 11 columns (10 are of 34 lines); spaces precede and follow the text (preceding space less than a column width, following space exceeding a column width); the column listing Haman's sons (column 9) with opposing columns (names at left, ואת at right); ruled on-line (as opposed to on-column); text ends on 34th line of final column.

Script: Written in an Ashkenazic ritual script, with some features unique to the sixteenth century (for example: downward serifs of letters ז' ן' certain י' and ש' hang off the horizontal stroke from the left side; letters such as the ת' and the ג' is in the late-medieval Ashkenazic tradition; certain ש' have center serif bent over; some tagin (ritual lettercrowns) are unusually thick, such as a unique central left-facing tag on the ח', while the typical crowns of three over letters ש'ע'ט'נ'ז'ג'צ' are unusually thin; the large letters of the passage with the sons of Haman feature calligraphic letters with configurations unique to sixteenth century Hebrew calligraphy, such as the ו' in (ויזתא.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Barney and Eleanor Frommer Memorial Fund.

Cited as:

Ashkenazic Esther scroll (UPenn CAJS Rar Ms 706). Library at the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania.

OCLC:

1437376408

Access Restriction:

Access to this item is subject to staff review.