The year was 1159. The excavation team was exploring Egypt’s ancient capital, when suddenly, while cataloging sacred and ancient items and manuscripts, a set of items caught their attention. It was recorded as “Goldasteh”.
Goldasteh: From ancient times, it was used as decorations for Torah finials, and it is also known as rimmonim.
In Hebrew vocabulary, the word “Rimmon” is mentioned as one of the seven special fruits of the Holy Land. There is no documented and precise evidence regarding the antiquity of rimmonim, how this design was chosen, its philosophy, and when and where it was first created, but rimmonim has undoubtedly been one of the oldest and most common types of decorations on Torah finials. It should be noted that the early rimmonims were made as a single container along with several Torah finials in the form of a wooden box, which, according to tradition, was designed after the destruction of the First Temple to protect the Torah finials. They were usually referred to with names like “Keter Torah” or “Keterim”, which translates to “Crown of Torah”.
The Keter Torah was decorated with a silver covering with engraved lines and Torah verses, floral, plant, or termeh patterns, and other beautiful and valuable fabrics. Ornaments made of precious stones were also used in addition to these decorations. An example of such Keter Torah is preserved in the Jerusalem Museum. It was used to protect the scroll of Esther (the Book of Esther) in the 17th century. It is made of silver with gold inlays.
Over time, changes were made to the original design of Keterim. They became independent from the rimmonim, making it easier to take the scrolls out of the boxes for reading the Torah.
In addition, each box had two movable axes extending outward, each adorned with a rimmonim on top, a tradition that endures to this day. Originally, rimmonims were crafted in spherical shapes, resembling fruits like pomegranates and apples. This design was prevalent and traditional among Ashkenazi Jewish communities in European countries such as Italy and Spain.
On the other hand, Sephardic Jewish communities in places like Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan often favored rimmonims shaped like pears. The choice of apple and pomegranate shapes likely stems from their significant role in Rosh Hashanah rituals, adding a meaningful touch to these decorative elements.
All the changes made to the initial designs of rimmonim have been influenced by the customs and traditions of Jewish communities in those regions and are considered matters of aesthetic taste in decorating. The have not changed the fundamental features of rimmomins. The location of their installation has remained constant, which is one of the reasons for their originality.
As mentioned, all the changes made to the original rimmonim designs have been mostly decorative, and among them, various types of rimmonims can be seen in the form of flat or semi-spherical, semi-flat, cylindrical, square, termeh-like, pomegranate-shaped, lantern-shaped, domed, and multi-domed among Jewish communities.
In regions like Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, people often inscribe verses from the Torah onto these rimmonims, or sometimes engrave the names of individuals, especially on flat, square, termeh-like rimmonims.
One interesting feature of these Torah scrolls is their use of sound. When the Torah is moved within the synagogue, small bells, hollow metal balls, or even precious gemstones like turquoise or agate are hung in sets of 6 to 12 pieces in one or two rows around its edges. These decorations are not just for aesthetics; they also serve to alert those present in the synagogue.
The influence of pre-Islamic artistic designs on rimmonim in Iran can be traced back to the time of the Sassanians. This style was inspired by celestial patterns representing the sun and its six-rayed rays. These motifs can be observed on silver vessels from that era and coins dating from the third and fourth centuries, attributed to Bahram I, adorned with an image of his coronation. The crown is depicted as a sphere accompanied by six-rayed rays, and this design served as an inspiration for artists of that period, as seen in rimmonim and Torah scroll covers.
Especially within the Jewish community in Iran, particularly in Kurdistan, a distinct practice emerged. Instead of placing 2 rimmonims on the main axis of the Torah finial, a total of 4 to 6 rimmonims were used as decorations on the upper part of the Torah finial.
Rimmonim, inspired by the design of Sassanian crowns, are predominantly circular or sun-shaped with six spokes. They are adorned with bell-shaped pendants known as Keterim or Torah crowns. These intricate creations were more commonly crafted and utilized in regions such as Yazd, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Another example of this distinctive style, closely resembling it, dates back to the 17th century and can be found in the city of Kaifeng in northern China. It was taken there by a group of Jewish traders who were on a trade trip to China from Iran and had taken the rimmonim to use during their travel. Today, it is carefully preserved in one of China’s renowned museums.
It is worth noting that this particular style, characterized by its circular or sun-shaped design, has been a symbol of headwear in the Middle East for centuries. During the Sassanian period, it can be observed as the headgear worn by the priestesses of Anahita, the goddess of fertility in agriculture, in the 5th century. In India, too, this type of hairstyle has been a symbol of the customs and traditions of Hindus since ancient times, and even today, a character of this style, known as “Gobpa”, which is a type of headdress worn by Turkmen girls, can be seen in northeastern Iran and the regions of Soviet Turkmenistan.
Design and Construction of a Pair of Rimmonim and a Torah Pointer by Yousef Setareshenas in Iran, 1378 (1999)
The rimmonim design is inspired by 16th and 17th-century rimmonims from Ashkenazi Jews of Spain and the Netherlands and Sephardic Jewish communities in Iran and Morocco. Although all rimmonims fundamentally share a similar basic design, efforts were made to select a design that is unique in its own right and harmonious with the local culture.
A pair of elegant and exquisite rimmonims took nine months to craft, including the necessary coordination and modifications. The material used for the rimmonim was 90% silver. Each rimmonim weighed approximately 400 grams and was divided into two parts: the filigree work and the pen work. The filigree section was crafted by one of the finest filigree artisans in the city of Zanjan, while the cylindrical part was produced in one of the silver workshops in Isfahan.
The engraving or pen work was accomplished by one of the seasoned masters of pen work with long-standing experience and talent in engraving and making such traditional items. The engraving pattern on the lower cylinder was a first in Iran.
These craftsmen were presented with various designs, samples, and detailed explanations about the philosophy behind crafting the rimmonim, with a particular focus on the engraving work. This collaborative effort resulted in a profound understanding and heightened precision in crafting pieces destined to become enduring legacies in this region and beyond.
The filigree part consists of two sections: the crown and the lamp holder. The lamp holder is comprised of an incomplete hexagonal pyramid. Each side of this pyramid has a window designed like an arched gateway. Between each window, there is a pendant shaped like a pomegranate. At the pinnacle of each side, a Star of David, which is a sacred Jewish emblem, is mounted. The bottom section of this lamp holder features a goblet shaped like a saucer. The upper part of the lamp holder has a crown of three sections: the topmost is a sphere inspired by the shape of a pomegranate, while the middle displays a pattern of six olive leaves. The lower section showcases a conical handle, on which a seven-branched candle holder is engraved. Between the two candle holders, two Stars of David are positioned. Atop each candle holder sits one of the Ten Commandments tablets, adorned with Hebrew letters (Alef-Bet). Positioned between these tablets are olive branches, with a decorative Keter at the peak of these branches.
Torah Pointer:
The Torah pointer is a delicate and short rod with various patterns used when showing Torah verses to the congregation or during Torah readings. The pointer is designed to look similar to the rimmonim, and is related to the Italian Ashkenazi Jewish community in the 18th century. It weighs approximately 150 grams and is composed of 90% silver. In this design, seven pomegranate flowers are prominently displayed, stacked on top of each other, with a pomegranate securely attached among them. At one end, there is a crown, and at the other end, there is a finger-shaped pointer with a chain for hanging. Since cultural and religious artifacts like rimmonim, Torah pointers, Shabbat candlesticks, Mezuzah, and others will help preserve the ancient Jewish culture and its continuity, the effort is made to reconstruct all these artifacts in the same style.
Source: Mythical Beliefs: Yousef Setareshenas