Embroidered Velvet Ark Curtain (Parokhet) from Galicia

Ark curtain of the Hasidic and traditional synagogues of Galicia. On dark velvet, raised padded gold-thread embroidery depicts a Torah crown, confronted stags and lions, eagles and flowering vases around a dedicatory cartouche. The taste for abundant relief and a profusion of symbols characterizes the region's Jewish textile art.