Pair of Torah finials (rimonim)

A.M.

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In synagogues the scroll of the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, is often decorated with silver finials. The eclectic shape merges Ottoman architectural details, neo-gothic and traditional Judaic ornaments with extensive Hebrew citations, which refer to the Torah’s central status in Jewish life. The use of diverse motifs documents the constant cultural exchange between the Jewish congregations in various regions of Europe and Asia.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art