Early 20th Century American Carved Wooden Ark Pediment

Early 20th Century American Carved Wooden Ark Pediment

Hand carved wooden ark pediment, gilded lions flanking the Decalogue, USA, circa 1900. These wood carvings are early examples of Jewish American Folk Art in the early 20th century. They show how a form of art initially designed for carousel decoration evolved into a liturgical form reserved for the interiors of synagogue decoration. The symbols of these decorations are found throughout all of Jewish art and material culture from gravestones to paper and print craft.

See Murray Zimiles, Gilded Lions and Jeweled Horses: The Synagogue to the Carousel, Jewish