The article focuses on the attribution and expert evaluation of Judaica ritual silver from Eastern Galicia of the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries, with particular emphasis on Torah Crowns as one of the most representative forms of Jewish goldsmithery. Based on the analysis of a range of objects from museum and private collections, the study identifies key attributional problems, including the near-complete absence of identified silversmiths’ names, the fragmentary nature of surviving hallmarks and monograms – which likewise fail to provide clear or exhaustive information – and the persistence of erroneous attributions, illustrated here by the incorrectly assigned authorship of the Torah Crown from the collection of the Museum of Ethnography and Crafts of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, previously attributed to Aryeh Leib Katz.
The research methodology is grounded in comparative analysis of materials, techniques, forms, specific decorative elements, ornamentation features, and compositional structures. Special attention is devoted to the examination of archival sources, museum catalogues, and materials from the antiquarian market. A group of Torah Crowns with well-documented provenance, signatures, and dates serves as an essential reference point for attributing a broader corpus of similar objects.
The analysis of numerous Galician Torah Crowns allows the identification of consistent structural types, symbolic systems, and ornamental schemes. This, in turn, provides grounds for proposing a typology of two-tier crowns characterized by a distinctive set of decorative components: cast figures of lions, deer, and griffins. Typical elements include ornamental motifs based on acanthus leaves and palmettes, as well as the frequent use of the vase motif with a large central blooming flower.
The article also examines the contemporary Judaica market and the dynamics of auction sales, taking into account market strategies – particularly the discrepancy between estimates and hammer prices – and the influence of condition on the final price of a lot. Analysis of auction results makes it possible to trace shifts in the antiques market, assess the growing demand for Galician Torah Crowns of the eighteenth–nineteenth centuries, and highlight current collecting trends. The auction market functions as a significant source for attribution work, enabling comparative analysis and the identification of numerous replicas and copies of the most popular objects.
- Petriakova, F. (1998). Synagogal crown from Zhovkva as a unique monument of the 18th century. In M. Lytvyn, V. Nakopalo, & H. Yaremych (Eds.), Historical, artistic and architectural heritage of Zhovkva: Problems of protection, restoration and use (pp. 114–117). Zhovkva–Lviv. [In Ukrainian]
- Romanovska, T. (1999). Judaica. In O. Starchenko (Ed.), The golden treasury of Ukraine (pp. 99–122). Aktsent. [In Ukrainian]
- Romanovska, T. (2008). A unique 18th-century Torah crown from the collection of the Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine. In Museum readings: Proceedings of the scientific conference “Jewelry art – a view through the ages” (pp. 215–228). Kyiv. [In Ukrainian]
- Bałaban, M. (1929). Zabytki historyczne Żydów w Polsce. Towarzystwo Krzewienia Nauk Judaistycznych w Polsce.
- Benjamin, C. (1987). The Stieglitz Collection: Masterpieces of Jewish art. The Israel Museum.
- Bostel, F. (1896a). O Żydach złotnikach XVIII w. Sprawozdania Komisyi do Badania Historyi Sztuki w Polsce, 5, LXXVII–LXXVIII.
- Bostel, F. (1896b). Przyczynki do dziejów złotnictwa lwowskiego w XVI i XVII w. Sprawozdania Komisyi do Badania Historyi Sztuki w Polsce, 5, 15–22.
- Grafman, R. (1996). Growing glory: Silver Torah ornaments of the Jewish Museum, New York (B. V. Mann, Ed.). David R. Godine.
- Kayser, S. (1955). Jewish ceremonial art. The Jewish Publication Society of America.
- Kayser, S. S. (1950). A Polish Torah crown. Hebrew Union College Annual, 23(2), 493–501.
- Kuntoš, J. (2012). Silver Judaica: From the collection of the Jewish Museum in Prague (pp. 130–137). Židovské muzeum v Praze.
- Puzio, M. (2021). O działalności złotników żydowskich w dawnym województwie ruskim w okresie nowożytnym. Modus. Prace z historii sztuki, 21, 95–122. https://doi.org/10.55545/md.2104
- Barącz, S. (1870). Dzieje klasztoru WW. OO. Dominikanów w Podkamieniu. Tarnopol.