Watercolor, tempera and pen and black ink on vellumexpand_more
Gift of H.M. Lissauer, Melbourne, Australiaexpand_more 2000.106
The festival of Purim celebrates a victory of the Jewish people over oppression as recounted in the story of Esther. Esther, a young Jewish woman raised by her uncle Mordecai, becomes queen to the Persian King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). The king’s evil advisor Haman plans to destroy the entire Jewish people to satisfy his grudge against Mordecai, but the tables are turned when Esther reveals to the king that she is a Jew and convinces him spare her people and punish Haman instead. The megillah (scroll) is read in the synagogue during Purim services. In a festival atmosphere worshippers dress as their favorite Purim characters and rattle their groggers (noisemakers) at each mention of the evil Haman’s name.
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
No Image Available