Description
The paper discusses the carpentry and design of the small Torah arks of Franconia. Comparing their design and decoration with larger Torah arks from the middle Ages to the early modern period, it investigates which elements rooted in German Jewish collective visual culture prevailed, which were eliminated in the reduction process, and which components were alternated. It emerges that the isolation of small rural Jewish communities of Franconia, their fair financial capacities, and the reliance on the work of Christian artisans resulted in hybrid furniture, combining features of standard local carpentry with religious elements, at times sewed together with rough seams. Moreover, the small Torah arks, which contain only the most essential components needed for the synagogal ritual, provide invaluable information about the religious values and concepts of the Jews in early modern rural Franconia.| Period | 26 Apr 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Seventh Junior Scholars Conference in Jewish History: Diaspora and Debris: Material Culture in German-Jewish History |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Washington DC, United StatesShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |