Esther scroll with decorated letters and colorful borders surrounding text panels, placed in wooden case. Morocco [presumably southern Morocco], [18th century].
Ink and paint on parchment; wooden case.
Esther scroll; Sephardic-Maghrebi square script on seven parchment membranes sewn together (first membrane replaced), 27 text columns, 13-16 lines per column.
The scroll is scribed in neat characters, many with added ornamentation: apart from the standard crownlet decorations, many letters in the present scroll bear calligraphic ornaments, both supralinear and sublinear.
Each column of text is framed at the top and bottom with a narrow colorful border. Wide, colorful, vertical panels separate the columns, with alternate ornamentation in various (mostly geometric) patterns, typical of Islamic art in general and Morocco in particular. The column listing the ten sons of Haman is particularly splendid, with its letter ornamentation, symmetric design and large ornament in the center.
Placed in cylindrical wooden case (folk art); upper end conical in shape. Short wooden handle at the bottom, on which the scroll is wound.

Height of parchment: 15 cm, width: approx. 390 cm. Wooden case (including handle): 24.5 cm. First membrane (two columns of text, approx. 35 cm) non-original, presumably replaced at a relatively early date (19th century?). First membrane difficult to wind into case. Fair-good condition. Tears and open tears, professionally restored in part. Stains. Defects, particularly to beginning of second membrane. First membrane from a later date.

Reference:
1. Faces of Faith. Washington, Klutznick National Jewish Museum, 1994.
2. The Sephardic Journey: 1492-1992, edited by Marc Engel, Shalom Sabar and Chaya Benjamin. New York, Yeshiva University Museum, 1992, p. 290, no. 374.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 081.012.016.
The scroll is documented on the NLI website, and on the Center for Jewish Art (CJA) website, item no. 11823.