Objects

The atarah (Hebrew) is an ornamental strip usually made of Schiffli embroidery (silver or gold lace, woven into rosettes and scales), richly decorated with raised embroidery. The atarah is sewn onto the upper edge of the tallit, in its central part, serving as an adornment and a symbol of affluence (for more details, see: Anna Lebet-Minakowska, Katalog judaików. Część 1: Tkaniny, Kraków 2008, pp. 252–270).

The historical atarah from the collection of the District Museum in Leszno is a rectangular, decorative strip made of formed silver lace, rounded at the ends. The item was created using the Schiffli embroidery technique, also known as Swiss Lace, on an embroidery workshop, with a cotton backing. The atarah is composed of a silver tape arranged in a continuous ornament and features a floral palmetto design (a popular Hasidic pattern in Poland), surrounded by a wavy scalloped border. This design was characteristic of the "szycharzy" (translator´s note: craftsman skilled in the art of making decorative elements, using a Schiffli embroidery technique) from Sasów (now Sasiv, Ukraine) – the largest centre producing ataroth.

The atarah was purchased for the collection in 1996 from Aleksander Sanok, a private collector from Leszno. It was brought from the southeastern region of Poland. The previous owner did not specify the exact place of origin of the item. The artifact was presented in a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history and culture of Jews.

Dariusz Czwojdrak