This is a holder (tik) for the Torah in scroll form, known as the Sefer Torah, meant for liturgical purposes. This tik was probably produced for the Jews who used to live in the former Emirate of Bukhara (1785–1920). The use of Torah holders are commonly associated with the Mizrahi (under which the Bukharan Jews are included) and Romaniote Jewish communities.Following the Russian conquest of the Emirate of Bukhara in 1868, the Bukharan Jewry were accorded the rights to live and trade freely in Russia. This allowed Bukharan Jews to gain economic power as a class of competent traders and industrialists was established. That this holder is made of silver and set with turquoise and other gems is perhaps reflective of the economic reality of the period. This gem-set style is reminiscent of the jewellery and artistic traditions of the Turkmen tribes who inhabit this region.
