The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 14, 2025
Miniature Torah Ark
1858
assayer
(active 1857–62)
Overall: 50.8 x 38.1 x 20.3 cm (20 x 15 x 8 in.)
© Mishkan Or Museum of Jewish Cultures, Congregation Mishkan Or
Location: 219 19th Century European
Did You Know?
Zhytomyr had a large and diverse Jewish community and was a center of Jewish book publishing.Description
An ark is an ornate cabinet in Jewish temples that houses the sacred Torah scrolls. The elaborate architectural form of this object was inspired by carved wood arks in Eastern European (especially Polish and Ukrainian) synagogues. Silver miniature arks are very rare; this luxurious example contained a small scroll (now lost). Its embellishments include the Lions of Judah, birds and griffins, the Tablets of the Law, the Hands of Blessing, and a Hebrew banner that reads “And you shall make an ark cover of pure gold” (Exodus 25:17).- Adorning Ritual: Jewish Ceremonial Art from the Jewish Museum, New York. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 25, 2025-May 10, 2026).
- {{cite web|title=Miniature Torah Ark|url=false|author=Yakov Aleksiyevich Davydov|year=1858|access-date=14 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/5.2024