Eighteenth Century Torah Crowns

Myer Myers Silverwork

Before the nineteenth century, Myer Myers (1723-1795) was the most prolific American-Jewish silversmith; he had the largest collection of silver amongst all Western Jews before 1800. Some of today's most valuable examples of metalwork from the 1700s include Myers's works, particularly his detailed, Rococo-style rimmonim (Torah Finials). He was commissioned to sculpt rimmonim for some of the largest and most influential synagogues of the colonial period, including Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia and Yeshuat Israel in Newport, RI. This particular pair was made for Congregation Shearith Israel of New York City. It was the city's only synagogue until 1825. Myers was an active member throughout his life; he served as its president in 1759 and 1770. Today, Myers's silverwork can still be seen on display at museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. In 2002, the Yale University Art Gallery organized a traveling exhibit featuring Myers's art, which included more than one hundred silver pieces.