Italian Origins of the Decorated Scrolls of Esther
Italian Origins of the Decorated Scrolls of Esther

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of the article is to present the oldest preserved examples of the decorated scrolls of Esther (megillot Esther), i.e., manuscripts dating back to between 1564 and approximately1649, created by Estellina bat Menaḥem, Andrea Marelli, Moshe ben Abraham Pescarola, Jaakow Zoraff (Zoref) and Shalom ben Mordechaj Italia. All of them are of Italian origin or the craft of its author was formed in the towns of Italian Peninsula. This region is particularly important for the history of decorated megilot, not just because this is where the oldest known example of them originated, containing embellishments and illustrations, but also because the decorative elements and motifs and graphic solutions used in them were copied by later authors of such manuscripts. The article also briefly looks at selected factors that may have contributed to the habit of decorating the scrolls.

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