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Lot Essay
The form of this pair of rimmonim is typical of the type found from Austria to western Ukraine and in the geographical area called Galicia stretching from southeastern Poland to western Ukraine and referred to as Austrian Poland. In Galicia, rimmonim often have wide bases which would attach to the round plates above the rolled Torah Scroll staves called Atzei Chaim which translates as ‘Trees of Life.’ Meanwhile the foliate motif ascending the columns supporting the crown is reminiscent of the Tree of Life adorning the columns of the Temple based on the biblical story of the Garden of Eden. The Tree of Life originates from the Book of Proverbs verse 3:18: ‘She is the tree of life to those who grasp her, and whoever holds on to her is happy’. This line referring to the Torah is commonly sung in Ashkenazi congregations as the Torah is returned to the Ark after public reading.
Galicia was part of the Habsburg Empire from the time of the first partition of Poland in 1772, until the end of the World War I in 1918. The Jewish community enjoyed a comfortable base in Galicia from then on, first under the ruling of Empress Maria Theresa (17717-1780) and then Joseph II (1741-1790). Joseph II inaugurated a regime of enlightened absolutism and instituted a series of reforms including the Edict of Toleration in 1782, intended to integrate Jews into the general population. This edict levelled their rights and duties with the rest of the population, abolishing residential restrictions and allowing them to engage in crafts and industries and ultimately permitting religious and cultural life to flourish. This period saw the production of a rich body of ritual objects with a strong identity reflecting the complex culture and varied political history of the region.
A similar model of rimmonim is referenced in C. Benjamin, The Stieglitz Collection: Masterpieces of Jewish Art, the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1987, cat. no. 13 described as Poland, 18th century.
Galicia was part of the Habsburg Empire from the time of the first partition of Poland in 1772, until the end of the World War I in 1918. The Jewish community enjoyed a comfortable base in Galicia from then on, first under the ruling of Empress Maria Theresa (17717-1780) and then Joseph II (1741-1790). Joseph II inaugurated a regime of enlightened absolutism and instituted a series of reforms including the Edict of Toleration in 1782, intended to integrate Jews into the general population. This edict levelled their rights and duties with the rest of the population, abolishing residential restrictions and allowing them to engage in crafts and industries and ultimately permitting religious and cultural life to flourish. This period saw the production of a rich body of ritual objects with a strong identity reflecting the complex culture and varied political history of the region.
A similar model of rimmonim is referenced in C. Benjamin, The Stieglitz Collection: Masterpieces of Jewish Art, the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1987, cat. no. 13 described as Poland, 18th century.