Pair of Silver Torah Finials – Carl Friedrich Schönberg – Nuremberg, Ca. 1830-1840

Pair of Torah finials by silversmith Carl Friedrich Schönberg. Nuremberg, Germany, [1830s-1840s].

Silver, cast, pierced, stamped and engraved; parcel-gilt. Marked with the city mark of Nuremberg (the letter N), fineness mark 13, and maker’s mark CS within a square frame (Carl Friedrich Schönberg).

The present finials are predominantly parcel-gilt, and are adorned with floral motifs and arched apertures, each enclosing a suspended bell. The top of each finial features a crown-shaped ornament with a central bell, surmounted by a rampant lion holding a blank oval medallion. The lower section features shell-shaped decorations. Each finial is composed of three separate sections joined by screws and nuts. The stems are threaded and detachable.

Several additional Torah ornaments by Carl Friedrich Schönberg are known, including three Torah shields, a Torah pointer, and two other pairs of finials: one pair is kept in the Jewish Museum New York (inv. no. F-1899; Grafman no. 303), and another in the Cymbalista Collection (see: "50 Rimonim", no. 39; the upper crown ornaments of Torah finials no. 35 in the same collection were also made by Schönberg).

Height: 39.5 cm. Max. width: 11.5 cm. Overall good condition. Minor bends.