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Torah shield (Tas)
14 x 14 in. (35.6 x 35.6 cm)German artist
Germany
Object Type:
Metalwork
Medium and Support:
Gilt silver
Credit Line:
Maurice R. and Maxine B. Forman Fund
Accession Number:
2006.51
Location: Not currently on view
The Memorial Art Gallery recently acquired several outstanding examples of Jewish ceremonial art from the collection of Central Synagogue, the oldest Jewish house of worship in continuous use in New York City. All seven objects were made in southern Germany, a region important for the production of silver as well as the original homeland for many of the early members of Central Synagogue’s congregation.
These beautifully crafted works of art represent a range of ritual objects used in Jewish religious practice. The importance of beautifying such objects is eloquently captured in the principle of hiddur mitzvah. This expression, which literally means to beautify a commandment, is biblically grounded in Moses’ words following the Israelites’ escape from Egypt: “This is my God, and I will glorify Him.” (Exodus 15:2).
The collection includes ritual objects related to the celebration of the Sabbath, the spiritual focus of Judaism: a pair of candlesticks, a Kiddush cup and two spice containers. These were once used in the home, as was the Hanukkiah, an oil lamp lit during the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah. Also included is a Tas, a decorative and functional object that originally ornamented the Torah in a synagogue.
The Tas was designed to hang over the staves, or side rungs that hold the scrolls, on the outside of the Torah. An interchangeable plaque indicates the place to which the scrolls have been turned; here, the plaque refers to Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days in the Jewish liturgical calendar.
[Adapted from gallery label text, 2006]
These beautifully crafted works of art represent a range of ritual objects used in Jewish religious practice. The importance of beautifying such objects is eloquently captured in the principle of hiddur mitzvah. This expression, which literally means to beautify a commandment, is biblically grounded in Moses’ words following the Israelites’ escape from Egypt: “This is my God, and I will glorify Him.” (Exodus 15:2).
The collection includes ritual objects related to the celebration of the Sabbath, the spiritual focus of Judaism: a pair of candlesticks, a Kiddush cup and two spice containers. These were once used in the home, as was the Hanukkiah, an oil lamp lit during the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah. Also included is a Tas, a decorative and functional object that originally ornamented the Torah in a synagogue.
The Tas was designed to hang over the staves, or side rungs that hold the scrolls, on the outside of the Torah. An interchangeable plaque indicates the place to which the scrolls have been turned; here, the plaque refers to Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days in the Jewish liturgical calendar.
[Adapted from gallery label text, 2006]
Provenance
Ethel G. and Morris C. Troper, New York, NY; their gift to Central Synagogue, New York, NY; purchased from them by the Gallery in 2006
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