Sefer Torah in Silver Case from Baghdad

The tik is a rigid cylindrical case that encloses the Torah scroll and holds it in a vertical position during reading, a practice distinctive to Eastern and Babylonian rites in contrast to the soft mantle of the Ashkenazim. In Baghdad, a great center of Jewish metalwork in Iraq, these cases were entirely plated with repousse silver adorned with floral decoration and dedicatory inscriptions on 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 honor accorded to the Torah and the wealth of the metalwork tradition of communities following the Babylonian rite.