Men’s pouch, for carrying documents. [Algeria-Morocco, early 20th century].
Cut leather, braided and sewn; thick silver-wire embroidery; cotton tassels.
A unique example – to the best of our knowledge, the only extant item of its kind – of a large, men’s leather pouch, apparently used for carrying documents. The pouch is shaped like a shield, and as such represents a style used for smaller cloth bags in Algeria and Morocco (for instance, for "tallit" and "tefillin" bags, or for pouches for women following childbirth). The pouch’s opening is covered and concealed by a decorative sheet of leather, embroidered with the Hebrew inscription "Avraham di Yihya Choukroun", surrounded by symmetrical vegetal patterns. Both the inscription and decorative patterns are embroidered in thick silver wire – apparently a product of something akin to folk art, in an uncommon technique (similar embroideries were typically made by winding thin silver wires on cardboard or cloth cutouts).
Seven large tassels made from thick leather and cotton thread adorn the front cover. A long shoulder strap is similarly made of braided leather thread, and the hem is embroidered in leather and cotton thread.
"Choukroun" is a common surname among North African Jews from both Algeria and Morocco, and the same is true of the name "Yihya". Rabbis with this family name presided over congregations in various Algerian cities as well as in the northeastern Moroccan city of Oujda, near the Algerian border.

Height: approx. 51 cm, Width: approx. 31 cm, Height incl. shoulder strap: approx. 125 cm. Fair-good condition. Signs of wear and abrasion. Leather elements coated with a wax cream for reinforcement and preservation.

Reference:
1. El Prezente: Studies in sephardic culture, edited by Tamar Alexander and Yaakov Bentolila. [Beer Sheva], Ben Gurion University, 2007, p. 208 (Hebrew).
2. Leaving, Never to Return!, curated by Dana Avrish. Tel Aviv, Eretz Israel Museum, 2019, p. 52 (Hebrew).
3. Palabra en su hora es oro: el refrán judeo-español del Norte de Marruecos, by Tamar Alexander-Frizer and Yaakov Bentolila. Jerusalem, Yad Ben Zvi, 2008, after p. 421.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 103.010.001.
This item is documented on the Center for Jewish Art (CJA) website, item no. 42020.