German silver tas

The tas (literally 'shield' or 'plaque') is a pectoral plaque suspended by a chain from the mantle of the Torah scroll, whose primary function was to indicate, by means of an interchangeable tablet, for which festival or service the scroll was prepared. This practice developed in the Ashkenazi world, where the tas became a vehicle for ornamental silversmithing. German pieces, in repoussé and chased silver, sometimes partially gilded, frequently display twisted columns flanking the Tablets of the Law, confronted lions, a crown, and a small receptacle for movable tablets. Their production, overseen by silversmiths' guilds, often bears hallmarks enabling their place of origin to be identified.