An abstract follows below; all information is also available on our website: https://researchblogs.cul.columbia.edu/islamicbooks/religionwriting/.
If you would like to attend Dr. Budzioch’s talk, please RSVP to [email protected] by November 5th.
“The Art of Oriental Esther Scrolls: Hebrew Manuscripts between Jewish and Muslim Worlds”
Esther scrolls (Heb. pl. megillot Esther) are parchment manuscripts of the Book of Esther. The story of the miraculous salvation of the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of Haman, the highest official of the Persian King Ahasuerus, is read aloud every year on the festival of Purim, most commonly in the synagogue. Decorated Esther scrolls first emerged in Italy in the 1560s, and gained their greatest popularity among Italian Jews during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This creative endeavor spread gradually to other European Jewish communities, living mainly in Holland and Central Europe. Only from the second half of the eighteenth century onwards were illustrated Esther scrolls produced in Muslim-ruled societies.
Illustrated Esther scrolls are very attractive and highly important Jewish artifacts, which emerge after the fifteenth-century adaptation of letterpress printing to the production of Hebrew books. Although all Esther scrolls include the same text, they differ significantly in terms of the motifs, layout, and techniques used to adorn them. These differences reflect the general tendency of Jewish art to adapt the artistic vocabulary of the dominant – Christian or Muslim – milieus. Such influence is already visible in the decoration of the earliest extant Hebrew codices from the tenth century which feature the same motifs as manuscripts produced in the Islamic lands. Extant oriental Esther scrolls, mainly from Morocco, Iraq, and Turkey, form a relatively small corpus of manuscripts, and they are rarely a subject of scholarly discussion. Their ornamentation is strongly influenced by Islamic art, as it reflects the intense interest in architectonic and floral motifs, geometric and abstract ornaments, and calligraphy. For the same reason, animals, human figures, or narrative scenes from the Book of Esther rarely appear in the decorative program. Since most scrolls do not have colophons, their ornamentation – in particular their architectonic frames, large calligraphic letters, and carpet pages – is used for discerning their date and origin. During the presentation, the main types of decorated oriental scrolls will be shown, and their ornamentation will be compared with that of manuscripts such as marriage contracts. This will be a starting point for the discussion of the transmission of artistic traditions between the Jewish and Muslim worlds.
Columbia University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. University Seminar participants with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations may contact the Office of Disability Services at 212.854.2388 or [email protected]. Disability accommodations, including sign-language interpreters, are available on request. Requests for accommodations must be made two weeks in advance.
We will continue to hold meetings on Zoom. Though we are sad to miss our regular post-meeting dinners, Zoom has enabled us to reach international audiences and invite speakers from across the world.
Please note the differing times to accommodate the various time zones. For more information, please see our seminar website: https://researchblogs.cul.columbia.edu/islamicbooks/religionwriting/
