The crown of Torah (Hebrew: keter Tora) is an ornament placed on the Torah scroll. Symbolically, it represents the recognition of the highest wisdom, holiness, and authority of the Torah over the Chosen People. The first mention of using a crown for this purpose dates back to the 10th century; however, the custom did not become widespread until the 17th century. The oldest surviving artifacts come from this period. In Central Europe, the closed crown became fashionable. It was often used interchangeably with Torah finials (rimonim), which are decorative top ends in the shape of pomegranates (see more in: Judaica ze zbiorów Muzeum Narodowego w Warszawie, edited by E. Martyna, Warsaw 1993, pp. 73–83).
The two-tier, six-armed Torah crown from the collection of the District Museum in Leszno consists of factory-produced elements. The rim is decorated with a relief band depicting flowers and acanthus leaves. The leaves also form its upper edge. The arms, cut from metal sheet, are embellished with pearls and adorned with semi-malleable decoration of floral branches. They are connected by hexagonal spacers, which have visible openings for attaching bells. The whole is crowned by a small, six-armed crown topped with a figurine of an eagle with spread wings. The crown bears signature marks on the lower edge of the rim, on the arm, and on the left wing of the eagle: the Polish state hallmark from the years 1922-1939 with the letter "K" (Kraków) and the fineness (purity) mark "3," as well as the goldsmith's monogram "MJ".
The crown was made in Marcin Jarry metalwork factory. The establishment, originally a branch of the Norblin factory, operated in Kraków from around 1890. After the factory was purchased, Jarry worked independently and earned numerous medals and distinctions at national exhibitions. In 1928, the workshop was transformed into a Factory of Metal and Silver-Plated Articles. The factory was located on Berka Joselewicza Street (ul. Berka Joselewicza) in the Kazimierz district of Kraków (https://desa.pl/pl/artysci/marcin-jarra/, accessed on 11 Febr. 2021).
The object was donated to the collection in 1978 by the Provincial Military Command (MO) in Leszno. It was one of several artifacts seized during an attempt to illegally export them abroad and the only one that was handed over to the museum in Leszno. Initially, it was associated with a ritual in an Orthodox church.
Dariusz Czwojdrak
