Silver Esther Scroll Case, Eretz-Yisraeli (Bezalel), 20th Century. With Miniature Scroll by Ze'ev Raban.

Silver Esther Scroll Case, Eretz-Yisraeli (Bezalel), 20th Century. With Miniature Scroll by Ze'ev Raban.

A classic silver Esther Scroll case from the Bezalel Academy, embellished with ornate filigree decoration. Hand-crafted by an Eretz-Yisraeli silversmith.

During the last half of the 1920's, the Bezalel Academy made great efforts to increase their funding from abroad. An essential part of their campaign was the sending of annual gifts to its supporters. The present miniature scroll, with its printed sofer stam text and hand-colored scenes by the famous Israeli artist Ze'ev Raban, was issued as the gift of 1927. Copies sent to donors were contained in special cases made for Friends of Bezalel.

The central body shows a decorative band in its center with the Hebrew words "Scroll of Esther", and a large oval cartouche inscribed with an elegant cursive monogram HJ.

The case houses a miniature Esther scroll only 4 cm. high, printed on parchment and colored by hand. The megillah ends with a scene of Sending Mishloah Manot. 

Printed on parchment membranes, Raban's narrative episodes from the Purim story are rendered in the oriental style characteristic of Bezalel (and largely developed under Raban's influence). Six of the seven scenes are signed, in the lower corners of the print, in stylized Hebrew letters: Z. Raban and Bezalel.

Ze'ev Raban, born Wolf Rawicki (Ravitzki) in Lodz, Poland in 1890, was a leading painter, decorative artist, and industrial designer. Raban moved to the land of Israel in 1912 at the encouragement of Boris Schatz, founder of the Bezalel Academy. He joined the faculty of Bezalel, and soon took on a central role in teaching. More than any other, it was Ze'ev Raban who influenced the creation and direction of the "Bezalel style" in all of its genres.

Case: 13.5 cm. 65 gr. Scroll: 4 cm. high

A beautiful piece of Eretz-Yisraeli art.