Bidspirit auction | Torah Crown with Lion and

Torah Crown with Lion and Bird Decorations – Galicia, 18th/19th Century - Torah crown. [Galicia (Poland or Ukraine), 18th/19th century]. Silver, cast, pierced, repoussé and engraved (with standard mark ”12” and partial maker's mark ”Haron Tapenb---?”); partial gilding. Crown in the typical design of Torah crowns from the Galicia region (present-day Poland and Ukraine). Stands on a round base, tall and gilt, with decorations in repeating vegetal patterns nailed on. Six gilt arched braces are supported by six erect lions screwed onto the base with nuts shaped as flowers, topped by another ornament in the form of a smaller crown. Between the top braces are large, slanted leaf-like ornaments with bells hanging from their edges, and with bird ornaments nailed on between the lion ornaments. On the top crown is a flower-like ornament, with a gilt knob in the center topped by a small bird. Inscribed on the top crown: ”Crown of Torah, crown of priesthood, crown of kingship, 1787, Hene Rachel Kohen”. This crown belongs to a group of similar crowns – with minor variations between them – held in several museum collections, generally bearing inscriptions dated to the first three decades of the 19th century. The present crown bears an earlier inscription – dating to 1787 – hence it postdates only the crown in the Stieglitz collection of the Israel Museum, dated 1726 (B86.0185, Stieglitz catalogue no. 7). Nevertheless, it remains possible that the present crown, like most others of the type, was produced in the early 19th century, and that the inscription relates to an event that had taken place earlier. For comparison and further information, see: Israel Museum collection, item B50.02.1203; Crowning Glory, no. 469-470; Danzig 1939: Treasures of a destroyed community, no. 77; Jewish Museum of Paris, no. 2002.01.0754; Sotheby's, New York, December 14, 2011, Lot 46; December 20, 2017, Lot 70; December 19, 2018, Lot 18. Height: 30.5 cm. Diameter of base: 12 cm. Maximal width: 16 cm. Weight: 1260 g. Overall good condition. Several fractures and old soldering repairs. Minor warping. One lion ornament partially detached. Some bells non-original. Bell lacking from interior of top crown.