The Jewish Museum here will mark the celebration of Purim–which starts tonight–with the opening of an exhibit of four megillot, handwritten Purim scrolls, dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, and loaned to the museum by the Bezalel National Museum in Jerusalem.
The four scrolls, all of them illustrated by hand, include a 17th century megiliah with engravings by Salomo di Italia, a hand painted 18th century megillah from Alice, an 18th century Italian megillah with sepia drawings and a 17th century Italian megillah with copper engravings. The scrolls were sent here from Israel in exchange for four other megillot to be exhibited in Jerusalem. They will remain here indefinitely.
Of the scrolls sent to Israel, one is in primitive style, the only known one with folk art illustration. Another is a 19th century Russian scroll with silver filigree on a gilt ground. It bears the Russian imperial double-headed eagle and the monogram of Czar Nicholas I.
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