Torah crown, created by silversmith Antoni Riedel (active 1878-1910). Warsaw, Poland, 1884.

Silver, repoussé, engraved and embossed; silver, cast; parcel gilt (maker's mark "A. Riedel", workshop mark (logo), Warsaw city marks, "84" quality mark, and assayer's mark with date "OC 1884" [Osip Sosnkovski]).

Large Torah crown, in a design typical of crowns from Poland and Eastern Europe. With a round base, decorated with dense leaf ornaments, featuring three gilded medallions engraved with a dedication inscription: "Moshe Zvi son of R. Simcha / Pinczowski, from Konin / Year 1884".

Six half-arches decorated with floral patterns extend from the base to the crown's top, which is also adorned with floral patterns and a wide ring with leaf ornaments. Six rampant lions are positioned between the crown's half-arches, and above them are six cast decorations in the shape of deer heads, with rings holding bells in their mouths. Above the large crown is a smaller crown, decorated with six eagles standing on globes with bells, topped by a gilded spherical ornament on which stands a swan with spread wings.

A Jewish community existed in the city of Konin from the 14th century, and for hundreds of years it was administratively subordinate to the Kalisz community. In the late 19th century, about 2,480 Jews lived in Konin.

Height: 34 cm, base diameter: 19.5 cm, maximum width: 30 cm. Good condition.

Only a few crowns made by Riedel are known. For comparison, see: Center for Jewish Art (CJA), item 31584 (collection of the National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia); J. Greenstein, March 12, 2014, Lot 178.

This crown was likely part of a set, along with the Torah pointer and breastplate sold at Kedem, Jerusalem, May 8, 2024, Lot 43 (these lots match in terms of design, silver marks, and the style of letters engraved on the interchangeable plates of the breastplate).