Before Restoration: Scroll as received, with the entire lower roller handle missing.
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Completed Scroll: Restored scroll with new handle in place, aligned with upper finial.
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Portfolio Feature: Restoration of an 18th-Century Italian Esther Scroll
Client: Private Collector (Post-Sotheby’s Auction)
Item: Decorated Esther Scroll
Origin: Italy, second half of the 18th century
Dimensions: 9 5/8 x ~94 1/4 in. (245 x ~2405 mm)
Medium: Ink and paint on parchment, turned wooden roller
Item: Decorated Esther Scroll
Origin: Italy, second half of the 18th century
Dimensions: 9 5/8 x ~94 1/4 in. (245 x ~2405 mm)
Medium: Ink and paint on parchment, turned wooden roller
Background
This decorated Esther Scroll, auctioned by Sotheby’s in 2024, exemplifies the Italian Jewish tradition of illuminated Megillot. It features 19 columns of Hebrew text written in square Italian script, bordered by floral and cartouche motifs reminiscent of 18th-century Roman ketubbot. The scroll is adorned with symbolic imagery, including a crowned pentagram, and includes the full set of blessings recited before and after the Megillah reading.
When acquired, the scroll had suffered damage from age and wear, including a completely missing lower roller handle and fraying seams between the parchment membranes (yeriot).
Restoration Goals
Research & Design
To design a faithful replacement for the missing roller, I studied multiple extant Italian Megillot from the same period, identifying stylistic and structural patterns in the handles and finials. Based on this comparative research, I proposed a series of turning profiles for the client to review.
The final chosen design referenced scroll handles from Roman and Venetian schools of the 18th century. It featured a subtle disc-gourd profile, echoing the upper roller’s proportions and ornamentation.
Materials & Joinery
For the roller, I selected period-appropriate hardwoods native to southern Europe. A threaded scarf joint was engineered to connect the new handle’s mandrel to the surviving stem of the Etz Chaim. This joint ensured both mechanical stability and visual continuity.
To affix the parchment securely, I used gidim — kosher animal sinew traditionally employed in Torah scroll production — to stitch the new roller to the first yeriah. This preserved halakhic integrity and honored the scroll’s ritual function.
Additional Conservation Work
Several seams between membranes had frayed or come loose over time. I re-stitched these using gidim, taking care to follow the existing sewing holes to minimize intrusion into the parchment.
Outcome
The restored scroll now displays structural wholeness and visual coherence. The replacement roller visually harmonizes with the upper finial and reinforces the object’s dignity and liturgical presence. The scroll remains in private hands, where it is cared for as both a ritual artifact and an heirloom of Italian Jewish artistry.
For inquiries about conservation work or to commission a restoration, please contact me directly.
This decorated Esther Scroll, auctioned by Sotheby’s in 2024, exemplifies the Italian Jewish tradition of illuminated Megillot. It features 19 columns of Hebrew text written in square Italian script, bordered by floral and cartouche motifs reminiscent of 18th-century Roman ketubbot. The scroll is adorned with symbolic imagery, including a crowned pentagram, and includes the full set of blessings recited before and after the Megillah reading.
When acquired, the scroll had suffered damage from age and wear, including a completely missing lower roller handle and fraying seams between the parchment membranes (yeriot).
Restoration Goals
- Reconstruct the missing lower roller handle in a historically and aesthetically appropriate manner
- Ensure the new roller harmonizes with the surviving upper roller and top finial
- Use traditional materials and techniques wherever possible
- Repair frayed seams between the scroll’s yeriot using kosher gidim (animal sinew)
Research & Design
To design a faithful replacement for the missing roller, I studied multiple extant Italian Megillot from the same period, identifying stylistic and structural patterns in the handles and finials. Based on this comparative research, I proposed a series of turning profiles for the client to review.
The final chosen design referenced scroll handles from Roman and Venetian schools of the 18th century. It featured a subtle disc-gourd profile, echoing the upper roller’s proportions and ornamentation.
Materials & Joinery
For the roller, I selected period-appropriate hardwoods native to southern Europe. A threaded scarf joint was engineered to connect the new handle’s mandrel to the surviving stem of the Etz Chaim. This joint ensured both mechanical stability and visual continuity.
To affix the parchment securely, I used gidim — kosher animal sinew traditionally employed in Torah scroll production — to stitch the new roller to the first yeriah. This preserved halakhic integrity and honored the scroll’s ritual function.
Additional Conservation Work
Several seams between membranes had frayed or come loose over time. I re-stitched these using gidim, taking care to follow the existing sewing holes to minimize intrusion into the parchment.
Outcome
The restored scroll now displays structural wholeness and visual coherence. The replacement roller visually harmonizes with the upper finial and reinforces the object’s dignity and liturgical presence. The scroll remains in private hands, where it is cared for as both a ritual artifact and an heirloom of Italian Jewish artistry.
For inquiries about conservation work or to commission a restoration, please contact me directly.
