Esther scroll, housed in a finely decorated silver case. [Ottoman Empire, probably Greece, late 19th or early 20th century].
Ink on parchment; silver, cast, turned and soldered; filigree, granulation.
Esther scroll in miniature format, inscribed in square Sephardi script, with "tagim" (decorative crowns) over designated letters, covering six sheets of parchment with 26 columns of text, 15 rows per column.
The scroll is housed in a cylindrical case made using filigree and granulation techniques and featuring vegetal patterns in a style and technique characteristic of similar items from Greece (Ioannina). Long scrolling rod with crank-shaped handle – another feature typical of the craftsmanship of the Ottoman Empire and the Balkans. Pull bar (sewn onto leading edge of scroll) with delicate, cloverleaf-shaped handle soldered on.
For comparison, see: The Center for Jewish Art (CJA), item nos. 22044 and 40969; The Jewish Museum, New York, no. F 6544.

Height of parchment sheets: 9 cm. Height of case: 17.5 cm; incl. crank-shaped handle: 33.5 cm. Corrections to text in several places. Minor warping and blemishes to filigree.