This Esther scroll, which combines Indian and Western traditions in
a unique way, contains twenty elaborately illustrated panels
flanking the text columns. The reader is shown surrounded by men
wearing fezes and children holding drums used as noisemakers to
drawn out the name of Haman. Additionally, a group of five women is
portrayed in a separate space above labeled ezrat nashim (woman’s
section). The figures in the scroll are depicted in a mixture of
contemporary, Western and non-Western clothing, and often are
seated in interiors that portray a similar blend of furnishings.
Some of the women, including Esther at times, are shown with a
Hindu bindi sign on their foreheads. This scroll comes from the
collection of the eminent Sassoon family of Baghdadi Jewish
descent. It was most likely created for their personal use. The
merging of Jewish scribal traditions and Indian artistic design
reflects the Sassoon family’s deep involvement in the cultural
life of India.
