Torah Mantle

The mantle is constructed of silk velvet fragments that have been pieced together, an indication of the value attached to the material or the poverty of the synagogue or individual who commissioned the piece. The main decoration is a silk panel with embroidered motifs: wheels, stylized figures, hearts, and buds set at the apexes and low points of a zigzag pattern formed of narrow bands of embroidery. A second applied band consists of metallic and silk threads applied and couched in a diamond pattern. These appliquéd panels appear similar to the embroidery of El Djem, Tunisia. As there was no known Jewish community in El Djem, the pieces must have been acquired for secondary usage.