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The texts on which the Basel scroll is based were written in the Holy Land at the behest of Charlemagne. This somewhat later copy might have been produced in the region of the Upper Rhine; it constitutes the only textual witness. Not only the content of the texts, but also the original scroll form were preserved. In his comprehensive study from 2011, Michael McCormick supposes an administrative use at the court of Louis the Pious or Louis the German. It is not clear how the fragments reached the University Library Basel; they were removed from a volume that was not further identified in the second third of the 19th century by the librarian Franz Dorotheus Gerlach.
Online Since: 12/14/2017
This manuscript is probably from Murbach Abbey; it is an example of the transmission of texts by the medium of the medieval scroll. The Rotulus von Mülinen contains more than 460 recipes, incantations and blessings in Latin, with selective interlinear glosses in Old High German. In addition there is an isolated recipe purely in Old High German Contra paralysin theutonice. The verso side contains an extensive glossary with over 1500 lemmas from the field of medicine, partly provided with Latin and Old High German explanations.
Online Since: 03/17/2016
Early 16th century Esther scroll from Ashkenaz, for private use with intricate floral and animal type ink drawings located over some of the monumental letters in the list of Haman's sons.
Online Since: 12/14/2018
The handscroll of Daihannya-haramitta-kyō, the Sutra of Great Wisdom, chapter five hundred and forty, consists of a simple sheet of paper without mounting. The complete version of the sutra encompasses six-hundred chapters. It was introduced to China from India by the monk, scholar and translator Xuanzang, who translated the sutra into Chinese in the 7th century before it was imported into Japan. The sutra is written in black ink on high-quality paper, very likely kōzo-shi, which is made using the fibre of Broussonetia papyrifera or paper mulberry tree, especially treasured and used for important documents during the early periods of Japanese history such as the Nara and Heian periods. There is a circular red seal placed over the top of the first four lines of the text, stating “Yakushi-ji-in” (seal of the temple Yakushi-ji). The sutra was written in Japan within the context of the religious rites of reproducing holy scripture to benefit the karma.
Online Since: 06/23/2016
This Megillat Esther consists of thirty round text medallions, surrounded by multicolored engraved decorations with floral, animal and baroque architectural designs. This unbeknownst scroll is one of six extant scrolls composed of the “lion, lamb and bear” motif, produced by the famous engraver Shalom Italia (ca. 1619-1664). He also engraved numerous Esther scrolls of different motifs that are still preserved in special collections, museums and libraries throughout the world.
Online Since: 10/13/2016
This manuscript of Six âges du monde, created in France at the end of the 14th century or at the very beginning of the 15th century, appears towards the end of the Middle Ages in the library of the Supersaxo family, one of the most important libraries of Valais, which today is held in the Médiathèque Valais-Sion and (this manuscript) in the State Archives of Valais in Sion. The work is remarkable in more ways than one: first, it was created in the rarely-used scroll format, a format reserved for, among others, universal chronicles, a genre to which this manuscript belongs. Second, a complex family tree, showing the descendants of Adam until the birth of Christ, runs the entire length (eight meters) of the manuscript. The columns of text of this impressive graphic document are accompanied by numerous drawings that resemble the style of Parisian works. Finally, this exemplar is not unique, since the municipal library of Reims owns a similar scroll (ms. 61), which certainly was illustrated by the same master.
Online Since: 03/22/2017
This scroll contains a collection of 133 culinary recipes that served as a source for the famous Viandier of Guillaume Tirel, or Taillevent. It was part of the library of Bishop Walter Supersaxo (ca. 1402-1482) and his son Georges (ca. 1450-1529).
Online Since: 11/04/2010
This 6,5 meter long parchment scroll depicts the history of the world, from Adam and Eve up to Christ, as a “Heilsgeschichte” (history of salvation); central events are illustrated with multicolored pen and ink drawings. Representing later epochs up to the middle of the 14th century, tables list the popes up to Innocent IV (elected in 1352) as well as the kings and emperors up to Charles IV.
Online Since: 12/17/2015
This manuscript has the form of a parchment scroll; it consists of six narrow strips of parchment, each about 60-80 cm long, sewn together lengthwise. It is a pilgrims' guide through the city of Rome und consists of two texts: mostly in the form of a list, the Mirabilia Romae describe the structures of the city of Rome – walls, temples, palaces, squares, thermal baths, theaters, etc. In this version, this part begins with a short historical introduction from the Chronicle of Martin of Opava. It is followed by the Indulgentiae ecclesiarum urbis Romae as a second part, an enumeration of the churches of Rome with their relics and the indulgences to be obtained there.
Online Since: 12/20/2012
This mid-eighteen century Italian Esther scroll was most likely printed and hand-colored in Venice. It is kept in a cylindrical case of delicate filigree, ornamented with floral motifs, that is typical of the later and more refined work of Ioannite silversmiths.
Online Since: 12/20/2016
The Esther story in this megillah (pl. megillot) isn't presented as an historic drama, but rather as a funny satire. The character of Alsatian Jewish life is captured in the ornamentation of the scroll: the whimsical imagery includes peasant figures in colorful local costume and reflections of folk humor. Lively figures, several shown strolling with walking sticks in hand and others gesturing, are interspersed with human busts, owls, and a gargoyle, while the Hebrew text is arranged within octagonal frames approximately 6 cm high. The few known Alsatian megillot share several distinctive characteristics, such as a bright palette of yellow, red, and green; stocky robust figures; and large vibrant flowers. In this Braginsky Collection Esther scroll, the women wear red or blue garments with yellow corselets laced in front, whereas the men are depicted wearing, amongst others, traditional white ruffs, red or blue jackets with culottes, and a variety of hats.
Online Since: 10/13/2016
Jewish ceremonial objects crafted of gold, such as this Esther scroll case, are exceptionally rare since synagogue and personal Judaica objects were usually made of silver or other less precious material. The cylindrical case of this scroll is ornamented with applied filigree. Emerging from a vase at the center is a large naturalistic flowering wine with scrolling stems and blossoms that extend across the case's decorated surface. Large blossoms support or frame the objects associated with the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. Although these motifs are frequently found on a variety of Italian Jewish ritual metalwork, they do not relate specifically to the Esther story. In addition, the Ten Tablets of the Law are placed on the largest central floral motif, a wreath composed of small flower forms that may suggest sunflowers. There are two similar Esther scroll cases of this type undoubtedly created by the same maker. They have been localized to seventeenth-century Rome or Venice. This undecorated scroll is probably from the 18th century.
Online Since: 03/22/2017
This megillah is embellished with hand-painted, repeated architectural designs. The text is set between alternating straight and spiral marble columns. The Jews of Italy associated twisted columns with those of the Temple of Solomon, which they believed were brought to Rome by Titus and eventually placed in the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican. In terms of style, this scroll resembles the illuminated ketubot produced in Ferrara and Mantua. Accompanying this scroll is a separate sheet of parchment that, in addition to the benedictions, contains a liturgical hymn, korei megillah, recited by the Jews of Italy. Rabbis disagreed as to whether a scroll may include any extraneous text that is not part of the book of Esther. However, in some communities this led to the practice of creating an unattached sheet featuring the three benedictions traditionally recited prior to the reading of the megillah.
Online Since: 03/22/2017
The border design of this Esther scroll is dominated by a baroque arcade featuring four distinctly patterned columns. The arches are surmounted by a balustrade that supports flowering urns, blank medallions, floral scrollwork, and a variety of birds including a crowned double-headed eagle and a peacock. Scenes from the Esther narrative are positioned beneath each of the nineteen columns of text. The engraved border of this scroll was designed by the Italian scholar, artist, and publisher Francesco Griselini (1717-1787), whose engraved border designs were popular in Italy in the eighteenth century. In these illustrations, Griselini has devoted particular attention to architectural settings and spatial perspective. The artist's printed signature is found in the lower left corner of each membrane. The last scene, placed under the final arch, is rarely found on illustrated Ester scrolls. It depicts the Messiah riding on a donkey heralding the return of the exiled Jewish people back to Jerusalem. The text of this scroll was penned by the scribe-artist Aryeh Leib ben Daniel. In his inscription, which follows the concluding benedictions, he informs the reader that he wrote this scroll in Venice in the winter of 1746.
Online Since: 03/22/2017
This profusely illustrated Dutch scroll is distinctive for its thirty-eight illustrations drawn in sepia ink. The decoration of the scroll begins with a triumphal arch reminiscent of Roman Triumphal arches constructed for royal festivities throughout Europe from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century. The scroll also contains some unusual representations. One is of Mordecai standing in a room with a wall filled with books. He is portrayed as a scholar, perhaps reflecting a rabbinic tradition that informs us of his remarkable knowledge of seventy languages, which helped him uncover the plot against Ahasuerus. Another striking illustration is the depiction of two merrymaking dwarves dancing and playing stringed instruments in celebration of the Jews' delivery from destruction.
Online Since: 03/22/2017
This eighteenth-century megillah was created in Lower Saxony and exemplifies a type of folk art decoration and color palette found in other megillot from this region. The most distinctive image in this scroll is the one depicting the hanging of Haman. Bound in chains, he is suspended from the gallows. A venomous snake, a symbol of evil, encircles the upright support of the gibbet. Below, a double-tailed lion, an allegoric embodiment of the Jewish people, is depicted holding a crowned shield and gazing up at the execution. This Braginsky Collection megillah is one of three similar German scrolls containing distinctive images of Haman hanging. Inscriptions on the opening and closing panels of this scroll indicate that this scroll was owned by Berel the son of Abraham Neumark of Hamburg.
Online Since: 03/22/2017
The special feature of this Esther scroll (on 4 sheets with 16 columns of text) are the detailed illustrations of the Book of Esther with the inclusion of motifs from the Midrash literature. These testify to a good knowledge of the Bible and the rabbinical commentaries. The depiction of Jews in festive dress with barrette and white ruffled collar (“Judenkragen”) points to a Western European milieu. In fact, the roll was created in Amsterdam. The scribe of this early and prototypical megillah with a printed decorative frame, Jacob from Berlin, wrote his name in the opening panel and dated the manuscript to the 18th century.
Online Since: 10/08/2020
This scroll (on five sheets with 13 columns of text) opens with an impressive sun disk surrounded by the signs of the zodiac. The month of Adar is particularly emphasized, since it was in this month under the sign of Pisces that the extermination of the Jews took place. Each column begins, if possible, with the word ha-melech (the king), which designates the king Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, but is also an allusion to the never explicitly mentioned and yet omnipresent God. The silver case from around 1800 is crowned by a bouquet of flowers and leaves, which can be found in a similar way on Torah finials (rimmonim) and other Judaica metalwork of the Ottoman Empire.
Online Since: 10/08/2020
This Esther scroll was created in Amsterdam around 1641 (on 7 sheets and 49 columns of text); it contains a printed decorative frame engraved by Shalom Italia (see his signature at the beginning of the scroll “Salom Italia sculp[sit]” (Shalom Italia engraved it). His frame designs influenced illustrated megillot throughout Europe. The printing plate, which is repeated several times over the entire length of the scroll, comprises four archways. On each pierced semicircular arch, above the architraves there are two women holding palm fronds. Landscape miniatures appear in the supraports and on the bases of the full-length figures representing Ahasuerus, Esther, Mordecai, and Haman. The scenes are based on contemporary landscape motifs, thus linking the Jewish text with the general visual culture of its time.
Online Since: 10/08/2020
The printed frame design for this Esther scroll (on four sheets with 15 columns of text) was created by the engraver Paul-Jean Franck, a non-Jewish artist in Prague; it is thus one of the rare examples of this type that does not originate from the two printing centers of Venice or Amsterdam. A total of seven episodes from the Book of Esther are presented in vertical order at the beginning and end of the scroll. At the beginning: Ahasuerus on the throne, while Mordecai and Haman are led past; Mordecai hands Hatach the decree of destruction; the king in the tent. At the end: the celebration of Purim; the accusation of Haman by Esther; Mordecai and the king; Mordecai as he records the establishment of the Purim festival in a letter to the Jews. Above the spiral columns' capitals, further scenes are represented.
Online Since: 10/08/2020
Created at the beginning of the 20th century, this Esther scroll (on six sheets with 35 columns of text) could be seen as an attempt to create a national Jewish style by incorporating orientalist and Art Nouveau elements. The origin could therefore be Jerusalem, although other centers in the Ottoman Empire could also be considered. The case is artfully carved from ivory, the megillah was painted in vivid colors and contains floral motifs, as often found in oriental manuscripts.
Online Since: 10/08/2020
The decorative program of this Esther scroll (on 4 sheets with 16 columns of text) was taken from the printed frame design of the Braginsky Megillah S25. The benedictions at the beginning of the scroll are surrounded by figures and episodes of the Esther story: at the top Ahasuerus and Esther on the throne flanked by courtiers; below on the right the conspirators and on the left Haman on the gallows; at the bottom on the right Mordecai in the gate of the palace and on the left Esther and Mordecai writing letters with the orders for the Purim feast. The hexagonal case of chased silver was made in 1806 and belonged to Rabbi Ephraim Fischel of Rozdol in Eastern Galicia.
Online Since: 10/08/2020
This scroll contains one of the most finely executed series of illustrations to be found in decorated megillot (sing. megillah). The highly accomplished artist Wolf Leib Katz Poppers has modeled detailed figures, scenes, and animals with delicate parallel and cross-hatched pen strokes, creating an effect that is strikingly similar to the copperplate engravings of contemporary books. Positioned between a foliate border with animals at the top and a similar one with birds at the bottom, text columns are interspersed with eight elegant full-length characters from the Esther story. Below each of these figures is a small vignette that chronicles the Purim story. It is unusual that the skillfully drawn figures that embellish this scroll are dressed in Ottoman-court clothing. The choice of this type of dress is intriguing, and perhaps the most cogent reason for this combination is that the scroll was produced for a member of a small, affluent community of Turkish Jews who, after 1718, were permitted to live and trade freely in Vienna, while still remaining subjects of the Sultan of Turkey.
Online Since: 10/13/2016
This Esther scroll, which combines Indian and Western traditions in a unique way, contains twenty elaborately illustrated panels flanking the text columns. The reader is shown surrounded by men wearing fezes and children holding drums used as noisemakers to drawn out the name of Haman. Additionally, a group of five women is portrayed in a separate space above labeled ezrat nashim (woman's section). The figures in the scroll are depicted in a mixture of contemporary, Western and non-Western clothing, and often are seated in interiors that portray a similar blend of furnishings. Some of the women, including Esther at times, are shown with a Hindu bindi sign on their foreheads. This scroll comes from the collection of the eminent Sassoon family of Baghdadi Jewish descent. It was most likely created for their personal use. The merging of Jewish scribal traditions and Indian artistic design reflects the Sassoon family's deep involvement in the cultural life of India.
Online Since: 12/20/2016
This hand-written megillah Esther from Venice (type: “Gaster I”, on three sheets with text in 19 columns, all but the last one arranged in pairs), is decorated with a printed and hand-colored decorative border; it can be dated circa 1675 based on almost identical Esther rolls that are dated. This decorative technique was first used in Rome in the late 16th century and later, especially in the 18th century, was widely used in Venice and Amsterdam. Polylobed cartouches below and above the text depict scenes from the Book of Esther.
Online Since: 10/08/2020
In contrast to most Esther scrolls, the first two decorative fields of this megillah emphasize the central importance of Mordecai. First there is written, in burgundy letters: “The Scroll of Esther the Queen and Mordecai the Jew” and then in orange letters “In the fortress Shushan lived a Jew by the name of Mordecai, son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish” (Esther 2:5). This genealogy is traced back to Abraham on the borders along the top and bottom of the entire scroll. This is followed by the lineage of the opponent Haman, which was taken from the Targum Riscon, the Aramaic translation of the original Hebrew text.
Online Since: 10/08/2020
Cut-out decors are typical for Esther scrolls from Ancona and Lugo. These can also be found on ketubbot (see K96 and K105) and other decorative sheets. The upper ribbon of cutout designs on this megillah (on three leaves with 12 columns of text) has peacocks, butterflies and deer interwoven with flower, tendril and latticework ornaments, while the lower one shows the signs of the zodiac. The turned wooden roller is 54.8 cm high.
Online Since: 10/08/2020
By its style, the case of this megillah (h: 47cm) can be attributed to religious Jewish art of Eastern Europe. The silver is punched, chased, cast and partially gilded. The double-headed eagle is the heraldic animal of the Habsburgs and of the Russian Tsar. On the shield is a quote from Esther 8:16: “But unto the Jews there came a light and joy and gladness and glory”, and the flags flanking the shield are inscribed: “And the royal crown shall be set upon his head” (Esther 6:8). Numerous of flower, fruit and leaf ornaments, interspersed with representations of animals, cover the case. The scroll can be pulled out by a clasp in the shape of a small lion.
Online Since: 12/10/2020
The opening panel of this megillah (on 4 leaves with 34 columns of text) shows a rampant lion with a palm frond, surrounded by four birds and insects. Above it, an inscription gives the name “Salomon Marinozzi”, presumably the original owner. To its right, a cartouche containing the name of his son as owner, was probably added later: “This scroll belongs to Mordecai, son of Solomon Marinozzi of blessed memory, and it was bought by Solomon […] in the year 1652.”
Online Since: 12/10/2020
Influenced by the Islamic culture of North Africa, this megillah (on three sheets with 19 columns of text) dispenses with figurative representations and uses the formal language of Islamic art with its manifoldly varied ornaments. The text is adorned by an arcade that extends over the entire scroll. The decoration most closely resembles that of some ketubot from the city of Meknes in Morocco.
Online Since: 12/10/2020
This megillah (on three sheets with 10 columns of text) is from Eastern Europe and was probably created at the beginning of the 20th century. The elaborate case was made by Ezekiel Joshua Maisels in 1913 in Dolyna in Galicia (today Western Ukraine). It is covered with carved images, ornaments and Hebrew inscriptions, and contains scenes from the Purim story at the bottom and from the hanging of Haman in the upper part. In the central part, the crown (keter malchut), symbol of royal rule, is held by two winged lions. The double-headed eagle refers to the Habsburg Empire.
Online Since: 12/10/2020
The text on this Esther scroll (on 5 sheets with 42 columns of text) is written in unusually narrow columns, set in golden frames on a greenish background. The hexagonal case made of cast, chased, engraved and granulated silver bears the silver hallmarks of the city of Rome and of the manufacturer Giovanni Battista Sabatini from 1778 to 1780. The initials alef, resh and samech refer to the patron and to the owner. What is unusual is that in this case, the complete original set of scroll, case and leather box has been preserved.
Online Since: 12/10/2020
The calligrapher and artist Arje Leib ben Daniel, who created this megillah (on three sheets with 12 columns of text and a separate sheet with blessings), came from Goraj near Zamość in Lesser Poland. A total of 28 of his megillot have been preserved, eight of which are signed and dated by him. This so-called ha-melech scroll, where each individual column begins with ha-melech ("the king"), was created in Venice in 1748, with the sepia drawings typical of Leib ben Daniel. Influences of Salom Italia's border designs as well as of Eastern European folk art can be discerned. The artist's name in the inscription was later replaced by that of Judah Capsuto, who gave the scroll to Ephraim Isaac Capsuto as a Purim gift.
Online Since: 12/10/2020
Salom Italia (about 1619, Mantua – 1655, Amsterdam) divided the text into 30 columns (on four sheets) and placed them in the openings of massive rustica portals. In the niches between these portals, representations of King Ahasuerus and Queen Esther alternate. On the pedestals there are 29 pictures telling the story of the Book of Esther. Salom Italia's design of the Esther roles, of which a total of eleven works have survived, was of great influence. This megillah is one of three Esther scrolls decorated with pen drawings, which may have served as a model for the copper-engraved borders designed by the same artist.
Online Since: 12/10/2020
This work is dated to the 3rd Adar of the year 5324 (15 February 1564) in Venice and is thus the earliest dated example of a fully decorated Esther scroll. It was made by Stellina and therefore contains the only early modern megillah that we know to have been created by a woman. The scroll begins with blessings. These are followed by the text, which is placed between arcades. The columns of text are flanked by caryatids carrying antique vases, urn vessels or oil lamps on their heads. In the seventh, thirteenth and nineteenth arcade, the caryatids are replaced by a satyr and a woman with animal paws. All illustrations include gold highlights. The style and motifs correspond to the visual language of contemporary mannerism.
Online Since: 12/10/2020
The Zurich armorial on parchment is one of the most important and most unusual documents of medieval heraldry. Today it consists of four parts of various lengths, which can be combined into one four-meter-long roll. Painted on both sides of the parchment, it depicts 559 coats of arms, each shield decorated with a crest, of high and lower nobility from Northern Switzerland, Southern Germany and Western Austria. Names are given next to each shield. In addition there are 28 flags of German bishoprics and monasteries. The order of these four remaining parts, which consist of thirteen parchment leaves that were sewn together, is as follows: Part I (36.5 cm) contains the coats of arms of the bishoprics and monasteries on the verso side (Merz-Hegi numbering: I-XXVIII; the numbering in the original is from the 16th/17th century) and 22 noble coats of arms on the recto side (1-22). Parts 2 and 3 (255.5 cm) were still sewn together in 1930. Part 2, consisting of four parchment leaves, contains the coats of arms 23-104 and 108-114 on the recto side and the coats of arms 214-220, 224-308 on the verso side. Part 3, consisting of three parchment leaves sewn together, contains the coats of arms 105-107, 115-162 on the recto side and the coats of arms 163-213, 221-223 on the verso side. Part 4 (109 cm), consisting of five parchment leaves sewn together, contains the coats of arms 309-378 on the recto side and the coats of arms 379-450 on the verso side. The armorial is incomplete. The missing fourth part should have contained another 109 coats of arms, which are known from a late 18th century copy of the roll. The armorial was probably created in Zurich or in the area of Lake Constance. It can be dated to the period between 1330 and 1345. The style of the workmanship is reminiscent of the famous Codex Manesse, a collection of poems in German with 137 miniatures, also created in Zurich, but somewhat older. The Zurich armorial was owned by Zürich historian and naturalist Johann Jakob Scheuchzer (1672–1733); later it became part of the collection of the Antiquarian Society of Zurich and then of the Swiss National Museum.
Online Since: 12/18/2014