Torah shield, handmade by the renowned Yemenite silversmith Avraham Tzadok. Jerusalem, [early 1960s].
Silver filigree; set with turquoise stones.
Impressive, high quality and possibly unique (according to the artisan's family) silver filigree work. The center of the shield is decorated with 12 small silver plates depicting the symbols of the 12 tribes of Israel and their names. The edges decorated with convex protrusions, set with turquoise stones at their tips. A silver chain for hanging.
The famed silversmith Avraham Tzadok and his family immigrated to Israel from Sana, Yemen, in 1949 and settled in the Beit Israel neighborhood of Jerusalem. In 1950, the family established a jewelry and silversmith workshop. During the 1960s, they opened a store in Jerusalem that was eventually followed by more stores.
For further information, see the article by Yael Gilat, "Yemenite jewelers in Israel, the story of their lives and the craft of the independent craftsmen in Eretz Israel and in the early years of the State" (attached).
Length 26.5cm, width 16.5cm.