Identifier
38.1148
Transfer of custody
MFA Boston
Collection
Technique
Depiction
Dimension
17 cm (height)
384 cm (width)
Production time
Production place
Type of object

Description

A torah binder is made from strips of the cloth used to wrap a baby boy at his circumcision. It is inscribed with a standard Hebrew blessing and donated to a synagogue. Four pieces joined together. Light neutral brown linen embroidered with drawn figures, birds, flowers and inscriptions worked with yellow, brown, blue, green and neutral pinkish and lavender silks. A man and a woman under the Huppa`, a double-headed eagle, a boy holding the open Torah scroll, and the spies returning from the land of Canaan are among the motifs represented. Embroidered in Hebrew: “Meyer ben Yosef born with mazel tov (under good fortune) on Monday 23 Elul 5505 (20th September 1745). May God raise him to Torah and to Huppah and to good deeds. Amen…”