In my previous post I wrote about Sotheby's Sefer Torah auction, which pocketed 398,500 (the estimate was 300,000 to 500,000). But there were a few interesting Megillot being auctioned as well and I singled out three of them.
Firstly, the allegedly "earliest complete decorated Esther Scroll" (Venice, 1562). It was sold for a whooping U$ 600,000, making it the most expensive item sold in Sotheby's auction. I personally cannot understand why would someone favor this Megilla over the above-mentioned Sefer Torah from the 13th century, but bottom line is that this Megilla is surely unique. Every column starts with only one, large-type, word and subsequent 22 lines. From a Safrut perspective these top large words are not desirable but it doesn't causes the scroll to become Pasul. (click in the image to enlarge)
Firstly, the allegedly "earliest complete decorated Esther Scroll" (Venice, 1562). It was sold for a whooping U$ 600,000, making it the most expensive item sold in Sotheby's auction. I personally cannot understand why would someone favor this Megilla over the above-mentioned Sefer Torah from the 13th century, but bottom line is that this Megilla is surely unique. Every column starts with only one, large-type, word and subsequent 22 lines. From a Safrut perspective these top large words are not desirable but it doesn't causes the scroll to become Pasul. (click in the image to enlarge)
Next is a magnificent Megilla from Prague, 1700's, decorated by Jean-Paul Franck. From the catalogue: "Additionally, nude, half-length female figures emerge from scrolling foliate vines and peacocks, perched in naturalistic poses create a theatrical, albeit unrelated, backdrop to the Hebrew text." This is odd but not uncommon in old Megillot, unfortunately. Sold for U$ 134,500.
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4 comments:
YK - You fail to mention the most unique fact relating to the $602,000 megilla from Venice --- that it appears to have been written by a woman! I'd love to know a) where this megilla has been for the last 450+ years and b) if it was ever actually used.
-the NF
NF,
I just checked in the catalogue and you are right. It was written by Estellina daughter of the Katzin Menahem, but many poskim have no problem with that (the very first Megillat Esther was written by.. Esther). It's a good topic for a future post.
YK
YK-
It's true that many poskim have no problem with women writing a megilla (most recently R. Ovadia Yosef)... driving the price on this megilla was the fact that we have a very early COMPLETE illuminated megilla from the 16th century written by a woman.
There were other oddities in the megilla besides the large first word at the top of each column. The sofer(et) followed the shita of the Ram"a regarding elaving a space between each pasuk (sometimes too much of a gap creating a stuma in my opion). Also - take a look at how she wrote asseret bnai haman.
NF,
I did notice the spacing between Psukim but I find it odd because according to this opinion it should be only two yudim wide, and in this Megilla is much more than that, possibly a parsha setuma problem. So I'm not so sure she wrote it because of the Rama.
I only saw the Bnei Haman now and it's indeed interesting. This layout is mentioned by the poskim - see here, towards the end of the page.
YK
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