Bidspirit auction | Decorated Esther Scroll with Blessings

Decorated Esther Scroll with Blessings Leaf – Italy, 1791 – Perugia Family - Decorated Esther scroll in large format, with accompanying blessings leaf. Italy, perhaps Ancona, 1791. Ink and paint on parchment; turned wood. Large-format Esther scroll, written on 5 parchment membranes sewn together, 14 especially wide text columns, 17 lines per column. Edge of tab at beginning of scroll artistically cut and decorated with illustrations of flowers and leaves in a symmetrical pattern, hand-colored pink, green and gold. The scroll is decorated throughout with narrow rectangular frames colored greenish gold. The scroll is accompanied by a matching leaf including the blessings recited before and after the Megillah reading, and the piyyut Korei Megillah by R. Avraham ibn Ezra. The blessings leaf is decorated with rectangular frames, like the scroll itself, with a large cartouche in the center containing an ownership inscription: ”This scroll belongs to… R. Michael Nissim son of Shlomo Perugia, [1791]”. Rolled on a wooden handle (probably original). Height of parchment: 19 cm. Overall good condition. Creases and folding marks to beginning of first column. Fading of gold decorations in many places and slight fading of ink. Slight stains, tears and minor defects. Blessings leaf: 17.5X36.5 cm. Good condition. Creases and folding marks to margins. Ink fading and slight fading of paint and stains. Height of handle: 36 cm. Some open fractures.