Rare German Jewish Wimpel (Torah Binder), Dated 1766. Exceptional and early Jewish ceremonial textile, this rare German wimpel (Torah binder) dated 1766, hand-embroidered on linen and richly decorated throughout its length with stylized Hebrew lettering, symbolic motifs, and figural elements. The wimpel is composed of multiple joined sections of off-white linen, hand-stitched together, and embroidered in muted yet still legible tones of ochre, green, blue, and brown thread.
The Hebrew inscription is worked in large, ornate letters typical of 18th-century German Ashkenazi folk art, interspersed with symbolic imagery including architectural forms (notably a house or synagogue motif), vegetal scrolls, ritual objects, birds, and a human figure rendered in traditional dress. These visual elements align with known wimpel iconography, which often combines the child's name, date, blessings, and symbolic representations of Jewish life and continuity.
The date 1766 is clearly incorporated into the embroidery, placing this piece firmly in the mid-18th century - a notably early survival for a textile of this type. Wimpels were traditionally fashioned from the swaddling cloth used at a male child's brit milah and later donated to the synagogue, where they were used to bind the Torah scroll. As such, they function both as deeply personal ritual objects and as communal synagogue artifacts.
Condition is consistent with age and ritual use: the linen shows areas of surface soiling, toning, and wear, with softened fibers and some fading to the embroidery, all entirely expected for an object of this antiquity. The embroidery remains largely intact and readable, with strong visual presence across the length of the textile. No modern restoration is evident. Edges are hand-finished, and the construction remains structurally sound.
German wimpels from the 18th century are exceedingly scarce, particularly dated examples of this early period. Pieces of comparable age are typically found in museum collections or advanced Judaica holdings. This example represents a rare opportunity to acquire a documented pre-19th-century Ashkenazi ceremonial textile with strong visual and historical integrity.
Estimated Value $200 - 300
Judaica
