Long manuscript parchment scroll – Ilan Sefirot. [North Africa, ca. 18th century].
Neat Western script. Long parchment scroll, with illustrations and detailed diagrams of the Sefirot, Partzufim and Hishtalshelut HaOlamot according to the Arizal's Kabbalah. Title at the top of the scroll: "This is the holy Ilan, may its merit protect us, Amen Amen Amen, so may it be G-d's will".
Visual diagrams of Hishtalshelut HaOlamot, known as Ilan HaSefirot, have been known since the early period of Kabbalah. Many Kabbalists composed and drew detailed Ilanot Sefirot for themselves. These were generally inscribed on long scrolls made of parchment or paper. As Lurianic Kabbalah spread and gained popularity, these Ilanot came to reflect the complexity of this stream of Kabbalistic thought, embodying ideas of the specific schools from which they originated.
The great Italian Kabbalist, R. Menachem Azariah (the Rama) of Fano, describes the Kabbalists who drew Ilanot on scrolls as follows: "A custom of the ancestors transmitted to their descendants is that they marked the names and bynames of the Sefirot on large scrolls which they called Ilanot" (Paamon VeRimon, Amsterdam 1608, p. 17a).
The Ilanot are highly complex graphic compositions, usually masterfully integrating text and illustrations. The Ilanot visually represent Hishtalshelut HaOlamot (Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah), the structure of the Sefirot in each of the Olamot and the mutual influences between the Sefirot, the Partzufim of the Olam HaAtzilut, Sarim, Heichalot and more. These are all integrated with paragraphs of text. Thus, the Ilanot became standalone works, representing the great complexity of the process of emanation according to the various views.
The Ilanot Sefirot prepared by Kabbalists were not made purely for rote study, but were also a ritual tool by which the Kabbalists would mentally depict the structure of the Olamot during their prayer and spiritual service. Later on, Ilan scrolls served as amulets and as a Segulah for the owner's protection and success.
Over many years of research into Kabbalah, the Ilanot were almost entirely ignored, and they were hardly studied and documented at all. Only in the last decade did research develop and gain momentum with the Ilanot Project under the leadership of Prof. J.H. Chajes, whose comprehensive book on the subject was recently published. See at length: J.H. Chajes, The Kabbalistic Tree, Pennsylvania University Press, 2022.
The present Ilan's content corresponds to Ilanot from the school of R. Moshe Zacuto (the Ramaz) in Italy, which are combined with excerpts from R. Yaakov Tzemach and Maharam Poppers (listed by Prof. Chajes in his book as "Poppers-Zacuto-Tzemach Ilan").
The present item is a detailed and complete Ilan, apparently written in North Africa. The provenance of this Ilan is from a private collection, and is not documented in Chajes' book, nor in the Ilanot Project or elsewhere.
To the best of our knowledge, there are no documented parchment Ilanot Sefirot of this type and from this period in North Africa.

Parchment scroll (three sewn membranes). Length of scroll: 2.22 m. Width of scroll: approx. 26 cm. Overall good condition. Stains, including dark stains. Perforations at top of scroll.

Special thanks to Prof. J. H. Chajes for his assistance in preparing this item's description.