Torah scroll in a silver case (tik) from Baghdad

The tik is a rigid cylindrical case that encloses the Torah scroll and keeps it in an upright position during the reading, a practice specific to the Oriental and Babylonian rites, in contrast to the soft mantle of the Ashkenazim. In Baghdad, a major center of Jewish silversmithing in Iraq, these cases were entirely plated in repousse silver with floral decoration and dedicatory inscriptions, over a wooden core. The tik opens in two hinged halves, revealing the parchment which the reader unrolls without removing it from its case. It reflects the honorific status accorded to the Torah and the richness of the silversmithing tradition of communities following the Babylonian rite.