For years and years, the tablets of the law were used as decorations on holy arks, Torah crown and other objects. They represent the whole Torah and many times they appear alongside other holy object from the Temple in Jerusalem, the place where, according to the Bible, they were kept- inside the Ark of the Covenant within the Holy of Holies. The Ten Commandments were written on the tablets and in art they appear sometimes as just abbreviations or just the first ten letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Italian Jews used the tablets as decoration very frequently and in the museum we have many examples of Torah crowns and other liturgical objects decorated with the tablets.
Among these, one of the most interesting objects we have is the painted wood Sukkah panels from Venice. The paintings tell the story of exodus and also show Moses receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai.
The doors of the Ark from the Great Synagogue in Mantua
Mantua, 1843
Wood, velvet and silver
ON 0007
Doors of The Holy Ark from the great synagogue of Mantova
Mantova, 1843
Wood, Velvet and Silver
ON 0007
Torah crown with the symbols of the Temple
1746
Silver and gilded silver
ON 0179
Torah Crown with objects from The Holy Temple
1746
Silver and Gilded Silver
ON 0179
Painted panels for a Sukkah
Venice , Early 18th century
Paint on Wood
Gift of the Sullam Family in memory of Angelo Raffaele Sullam, Venice.
ON 0789
Painted panels of a sukkah
Venice, early 18th century
Painted wood
A gift from the Sulam family in memory of Angelo Rafael Sulam, Venice
ON 0789
