{ "viewingDirection": "right-to-left", "metadata": [ { "label": "Note(s)", "value": "

On the first membrane, in the centre of right margin, an alef [א] has been inscribed.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Former Owner(s)", "value": "Enriqueta Rylands" }, { "label": "Alternative Identifier(s)", "value": "R19744" }, { "label": "Filiations", "value": "

Parma, The Palatina Library, Cod. Parm. 1217/1<\/a><\/div>
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD, USA Ms. W 730<\/a><\/div>
Zürich, Braginsky Collection Megillah 13<\/a><\/div>
Klagsbald, Victor, Jerusalem, Israel Ms. [17]<\/a><\/div>
The National Library of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel Ms. Heb. 197/24=4<\/a><\/div><\/div>" }, { "label": "Binding", "value": "

The scroll is attached with three threads to a wooden roller with wooden finials.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Decoration", "value": "

The scroll is decorated with an engraved border, which is composed of an arcade held by columns. The columns are standing on a pedestal with a motif with flowers or precious stones. The columns, with each a different texture, have an elegant capital and on the capital stands another pedestal with a floral or decorative motif. On a pedestal on both sides of the cartouche, exactly above the two columns, stands an ornamental vase. Above the arches a balustrade with floral motifs and birds (peacocks, crowned double-headed eagles, parrots, hoopoes, etc.), and cartouches. Below the arches are the text panels. Illustrations depicting scenes from the Book of Esther are below the text in panels between the pedestals of the columns. The palace of king Ahasuerus that appears on nearly all the illustrations is made in the style of an Italian palazzo. Given the different imprints on the back of the parchment it can be said that the decoration were produced in different stages: first the arcade designs and later the illustrations from the Book of Esther. Signature of the maker reading \"Griselini f.\" (the \u2018f\u2019 stands for \u2018fecit\u2019, the Latin word for \u2018made\u2019) on the first, third and fourth membranes, bottom left corner. <\/p>

Panel 1<\/a>: illustration to Esther 1:1-8. The illustrations show the court of the garden of Ahasuerus\u2019 palace. He sits on his throne at the head of the table; his guests sit around the table. Three servants offering food and wine stand around the table.
Panel 2<\/a>: illustration to Esther 1:13-21. The crowned king Ahasuerus sits on his throne at the head of the table. The seven figures closest to him at the table are the seven princes of Persia and Media: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. Four servants stand beside the table. The left side shows the palace of the king, two figures and a dog.
Panel 3<\/a>: illustration to Esther 2:8. The centre of the illustration shows a carriage full of people and a guard on horseback riding ahead of it. This is the carriage transporting the beautiful virgins. On the left is the women\u2019s house at Shushan, the palace. Around the palace stand several guards. The right side shows a city, a tree and two figures.
Panel 4<\/a>: illustration to Esther 2:17. Crowned king Ahasuerus stands on a platform on the right in the courtyard of the palace; he crowns Esther to make her queen. Esther kneels in front of the throne. Her veil is held by several servants. Behind them stand some spectators. The palace is depicted on the left.
Panel 5<\/a>: illustration to Esther 3:4. The illustration shows the courtyard of the king\u2019s palace with three figures in the foreground. The figure in the centre is possibly Haman, who is told by two guards that Mordecai does not bow for him. Number 6 written on top of the illustration.
Panel 6<\/a>: illustration to Esther 3:15 and 4:4. The illustration shows the courtyard of the king\u2019s palace. On the right sits a man behind a table reciting from a decree; surrounding the table are people listening to him. On the left Queen Esther who is informed by her maids and chamberlains. Number 7 written on top of the illustration.
Panel 7<\/a>: illustration to Esther 5:2-5. on the right, the inner court of the royal house with King Ahasuerus seated on his throne extending the golden scepter to Esther. Esther draws near and touches the top of the scepter. On the left Esther, Haman and Ahasuerus at Esther\u2019s banquet. Number 9 written on top of the illustration.
Panel 8<\/a>: illustration to Esther 5:9, 5:14 and 6:1. This illustration shows three separate scenes, starting at the right bottom. Here stands Mordecai in the king\u2019s gate; in the centre the building of the gallows. Around it stand Haman's wife and friends (?) who advised Haman to build the gallows to hang Mordecai. On the left, King Ahasuerus in bed, unable to sleep, listening to the chronicles. Number 10 written on top of the illustration.
Panel 9<\/a>: illustration to Esther 6:11. Mordecai is brought on horseback through the streets of the city. Ahead of the parade walks Haman with a horn, proclaiming. In the archways of the buildings stand people, looking at the parade. A Midrashic element is also depicted: Haman\u2019s daughter leans out of the window and throws filth over her father\u2019s head as he passes by. Number 11 written on top of the illustration.
Panel 10<\/a>: illustration to Esther 6:13-14 and 7:1. On the right, Haman talking with his wife Zeresh and his friends. On the left, Esther, Haman and Ahasuerus at Esther\u2019s banquet. Number 18 written on top of the illustration.
Panel 11<\/a>: illustration to Esther 7:10 and 8:1-2. On the right, Haman is being hanged, with armed soldiers around the gallows. On the left, Ahasuerus giving Mordecai Haman\u2019s ring. Number 13 written on top of the illustration.
Panel 12<\/a>: illustration to Esther 8:12 and 8:16. On the right, Mordecai before enthroned Ahasuerus in the inner court, possibly receiving the command to write the decree for the Jews in all provinces. On the left, a group of Jews defends itself from its enemies. In the background people sitting behind the table; presumably illustrating Esther 8:16, the Jews have a feast. Number 15 written on top of the illustration.
Panel 13<\/a>: illustration to Esther 9:6 or 9:15: the Jews slaying their enemies in Shushan the palace. Behind the windows are people who are looking at what is happening outside. Number 16 written on top of the illustration.
Panel 14<\/a>: illustration to Esther 9:12-14. On the right, Ahasuerus on his throne with Esther standing before him with two handmaidens. On the left Haman's ten sons hanging from the gallows. Surrounding the gallows are guards with halberds. Number 17 written on top of the illustration.
Panel 15<\/a>: illustration to Esther 9:14: Ahasuerus on his throne with Esther standing before him with three handmaidens. On the left, scribe(s) copying the new decree. Number 14 written on top of the illustration.
Panel 16<\/a>: illustration to Esther 9:20. On the right, the crowned Mordecai writing a letter (recording the events?). On the left, a messenger(?) on horseback approaching a town. Number 19 written on top of the illustration.
<\/div>
" }, { "label": "Acquisition", "value": "Acquired by Enriqueta Rylands and later bequeathed to the The John Rylands Library in 1908." }, { "label": "Title", "value": "Esther scroll" }, { "label": "Layout", "value": "

16 columns with 29 written lines. Four columns per membrane. Hard point ruling. No visible pricking. Original stitching.<\/p>

The letters in the last line of col. 14 are partly written on the printed border.<\/p>

At the opening blank part of the scroll, there is a tiny letter א.<\/p>

The final part of the scroll is blank.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Funding", "value": "" }, { "label": "Date of Creation", "value": "1740s" }, { "label": "Origin Place", "value": "Italy" }, { "label": "Origin", "value": "

Produced in Italy in the 1740s.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Script", "value": "

Italian square script<\/div><\/div>" }, { "label": "Data Source(s)", "value": "Description based on Alexander Samely's unpublished draft catalogue, description of decorations by Gabrielle Sed-Rajna, revised and expanded by Stefania Silvestri, Nienke Valk, and Dagmara Budzioch.

Revised by Zsófia Buda.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Alternative Title(s)", "value": "Megilat Ester; מגילת אסתר" }, { "label": "Language(s)", "value": "Hebrew" }, { "label": "Physical Location", "value": "The John Rylands Library" }, { "label": "Extent", "value": "4 membranes, 16 columns Leaf height: 225 mm, width: of the sheets in the scroll: 1) 502 mm, 2) 463 mm, 3) 465 mm, 4) ca. 530 mm.; overall length: 1960 mm. Written height: 107 mm, width: 82 mm." }, { "label": "Additions", "value": "Unattached parchment strip measuring 170x120 mm, side a: etched decorative panel with 15 written lines with opening and closing blessings for the reading of the scroll. Side b: inscription in English reading \"Belongs to Hebrew MSS 37\"." }, { "label": "Excerpts", "value": "

Colophon:<\/b> No colophon.<\/div>" }, { "label": "Classmark", "value": "Hebrew MS 37" }, { "label": "Abstract", "value": "

18th-century Esther scroll with black and white engraved illustrations by Francesco Griselini, produced in Italy.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Collection", "value": "Hebrew Manuscripts" }, { "label": "Bibliography", "value": "

Preto, Paolo, \"Griselini, Francesco,\" Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 59 (2002)<\/a><\/div><\/div>
Metzger Mendel, \"The Earliest Engraved Italian Megilloth\", Bulletin of the John Rylands Library 48/2 (1966): 381-432.<\/a><\/div>
A Journey through Jewish Worlds: Highlights from the Braginsky Collection of Hebrew Manuscripts and Printed Books, eds. Evelyn M. Cohen, Emile Schrijver, Sharon Mintz (Amsterdam: Bijzondere Collecties, Universiteit van Amsterdam, 2009), 242\u2013245 (additionally pp. 126-127 for the Bible of 1739 illustrated with Griselini's engravings).<\/a><\/div>
Schöne Seiten. Jüdische Schriftkultur aus der Braginsky Collection, eds. Emile Schrijver, Falk Wiesemann, Evelyn M. Cohen, Sharon Liberman Mintz, Menachem Schmeltzer (Zürich: Scheidegger & Spiess, 2011), 264\u2012265 (additionally pp. 246-247 for the Bible of 1739 illustrated with Griselini's engravings). <\/a><\/div>
Dagmara Budzioch, The Decorated Esther Scrolls from the Museum of the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw and the Tradition of Megillot Esther Decoration in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries \u2013 An Outline [Polish: Dekorowane zwoje Estery z Żydowskiego Instytutu Historycznego w Warszawie na tle tradycji dekorowania megilot Ester w XVII i XVIII wieku. Zarys problematyki], Warsaw 2019, 1:128-136. <\/a><\/div>
Rylands Library Griselini Esther Scroll, The Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art, object no. 36153.<\/a><\/div>
Buda, Zsófia. \"And the Scroll of Esther unrolls\u2026\" <\/a> Rylands Blog, 14 March 2022.<\/div><\/div>
" }, { "label": "Format", "value": "Scroll" }, { "label": "Material(s)", "value": "Parchment" }, { "label": "Condition", "value": "

Good condition. A small part of the border on the 3rd sheet is erased or it was not well printed.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Provenance", "value": "

First memabrane side b: handwritten in ink \"Hebrew MS / 37 / R19744\" and printed label reading \"1195\".<\/p>" }, { "label": "Date of Acquisition", "value": "1908" } ], "@type": "sc:Manifest", "attribution": "Provided by The University of Manchester.

Zooming image © University of Manchester Library, All rights reserved.<\/p> Images made available for download are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License (CC BY-NC 3.0) This metadata is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.", "structures": [{ "canvases": [ "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/1", "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/2", "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/3", "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/4", "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/5", "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/6", "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/7" ], "@type": "sc:Range", "@id": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/range/DOCUMENT", "label": "" }], "description": "

18th-century Esther scroll with black and white engraved illustrations by Francesco Griselini, produced in Italy.<\/p>", "logo": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/mirador-ui/uom_logo.png", "@id": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037", "label": "Esther scroll (Hebrew MS 37)", "sequences": [{ "canvases": [ { "images": [{ "resource": { "@type": "dctypes:Image", "service": { "profile": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/level1.json", "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00001.jp2", "@context": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/context.json" }, "format": "image/jpg", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00001.jp2", "height": 3981 }, "@type": "oa:Annotation", "motivation": "sc:painting", "on": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/1" }], "@type": "sc:Canvas", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/1", "label": "1", "height": 3981 }, { "images": [{ "resource": { "@type": "dctypes:Image", "service": { "profile": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/level1.json", "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00002.jp2", "@context": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/context.json" }, "format": "image/jpg", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00002.jp2", "height": 3981 }, "@type": "oa:Annotation", "motivation": "sc:painting", "on": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/2" }], "@type": "sc:Canvas", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/2", "label": "2", "height": 3981 }, { "images": [{ "resource": { "@type": "dctypes:Image", "service": { "profile": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/level1.json", "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00003.jp2", "@context": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/context.json" }, "format": "image/jpg", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00003.jp2", "height": 3981 }, "@type": "oa:Annotation", "motivation": "sc:painting", "on": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/3" }], "@type": "sc:Canvas", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/3", "label": "3", "height": 3981 }, { "images": [{ "resource": { "@type": "dctypes:Image", "service": { "profile": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/level1.json", "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00004.jp2", "@context": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/context.json" }, "format": "image/jpg", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00004.jp2", "height": 3978 }, "@type": "oa:Annotation", "motivation": "sc:painting", "on": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/4" }], "@type": "sc:Canvas", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/4", "label": "4", "height": 3978 }, { "images": [{ "resource": { "@type": "dctypes:Image", "service": { "profile": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/level1.json", "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00005.jp2", "@context": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/context.json" }, "format": "image/jpg", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00005.jp2", "height": 1351 }, "@type": "oa:Annotation", "motivation": "sc:painting", "on": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/5" }], "@type": "sc:Canvas", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/5", "label": "5", "height": 1351 }, { "images": [{ "resource": { "@type": "dctypes:Image", "service": { "profile": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/level1.json", "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00006.jp2", "@context": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/context.json" }, "format": "image/jpg", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00006.jp2", "height": 1351 }, "@type": "oa:Annotation", "motivation": "sc:painting", "on": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/6" }], "@type": "sc:Canvas", "width": 6500, "@id": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/6", "label": "6", "height": 1351 }, { "images": [{ "resource": { "@type": "dctypes:Image", "service": { "profile": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/level1.json", "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00007.jp2", "@context": "http://iiif.io/api/image/2/context.json" }, "format": "image/jpg", "width": 5040, "@id": "https://image.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037-000-00007.jp2", "height": 6500 }, "@type": "oa:Annotation", "motivation": "sc:painting", "on": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/7" }], "@type": "sc:Canvas", "width": 5040, "@id": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/canvas/7", "label": "rolled_1", "height": 6500 } ], "@type": "sc:Sequence", "@id": "https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/iiif/MS-HEBREW-00037/sequence", "label": "Current Page Order" }], "@context": "http://iiif.io/api/presentation/2/context.json", "seeAlso": "https://services.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/v1/metadata/tei/MS-HEBREW-00037/" }