Megillat (scroll) Esther -Northern Italy, second half of the 15th century – first half of the 16th century

Northern Italy, second half of the 15th century – first half of the 16th century

Ink on parchment and watercolor, 84 cm including the handle, parchment 54.5 cm

Comunità Ebraica di Bologna

This megillah, written in Ashkenazi square script and enriched with simple polychrome drawings, is considered one of the oldest Italian testimonies of a decorated Esther scroll. It was only from the second half of the 16th century that the practice of decorating megillot began to spread widely, continuing into the following two centuries.

AS