- Object Name:
- Torah in Torah Case
- Artist/Maker:
- Maurice Mayer
- Bio:
- active 1860s-70s
- Place Made:
- Paris, France
- Date:
- c. 1870
- Medium:
- Silver: die-stamped, repoussé, cast, engraved, and parcel-gilt; wood; textile
- Dimensions:
- 24 1/4 × 14 3/8 × 13 3/4 in. (61.6 × 36.5 × 34.9 cm)
- Credit Line:
- The H. Ephraim and Mordecai Benguiat Family Collection
- Accession Number:
- S 1456a
Not On View
This Torah case was made by the Parisian Jew Maurice Mayer, who used the title “goldsmith to the Emperor”—that is, Napoleon III. His case combines the ornate decorative style of the French Second Empire with the type of hard housing for the Torah more commonly found in Italy, the Mideast, and North Africa. It bears a dedication to the memory of Hannah of the house of Shemama, a wealthy and influential family from Tunisia. One member, Nissim, was treasurer to the Bey, the Ottoman ruler.
Information may change as a result of ongoing research.