Torah Crown – Bohemia or Moravia, Late 18th Century / Early 19th Century

Torah crown. Bohemia or Moravia, [late 18th or early 19th century].
Silver (unmarked), repoussé, embossed and engraved; gilt; glass paste.
Crown consisting of oval circlet and three ribs. The two outer ribs are decorated with vegetal motifs and a gilt band studded with glass paste gems; the gilt central rib and circlet also decorated with colored glass paste. Stylized floral and leaf decorations positioned over circlet, hiding rib seams.
The design of the crown was presumably inspired by the form of the Austrian Imperial crown, made in Prague in 1602.
Height: 18 cm; maximum width: 20 cm. Paste gems and top knop added later (from a different crown).
Provenance: Collection of Richard Teltscher (1888-1974), London (founder of the Jewish Central Museum for Moravia-Silesia in Mikulov in 1936).
For a similar crown, see: Rafi Grafman, "Crowning Glory, Silver Torah Ornaments of the Jewish Museum, " New York (1996), item 513A.