The Guiding Hand: Torah Pointers from The Barr Collection

About the Exhibition

The Barr Collection consists of an astonishing array of Torah pointers or “yads” (Hebrew for “hand”) used by readers to follow the text on parchment scrolls during a Torah reading. The Norfolk-based Barr Collection includes historical examples from master artisans, as well as contemporary yads that unite the realms of sculpture, design, and devotional practice. The Torggler is proud to present a selection of this far-reaching and masterfully crafted collection in its William Grace Community Gallery from January 20th through March 24th, 2024.

The antique Torah pointers span an immense range of geography and time. Africa, Asia, North America, and the whole of Europe are represented by yads that trace their origins from 1700 until 1900. These traditional objects incorporate a range of materials from the ornate and luxurious to the humble and rough-hewn. Materials including wood, porcelain, red coral, ivory, gold, silver, turquoise, agate, and other precious stones have been worked by master craftspeople whose practices intersect with some of the most significant design histories of their respective eras and regions.

The contemporary collection begins in the 20th century and extends into the present. Though the Barr Collection includes extant examples of yads from this period, others are directly commissioned by the collector, Clay Barr of Norfolk. Barr began assembling the collection nearly thirty years ago in honor of her late husband, Jay Barr, and continues to add to it. Contemporary artists and designers working in the United States and abroad are approached to create objects that include both traditional ceremonial aesthetics and more whimsical, conceptual, or sculptural forms that reflect the major styles of 20th-century art. Naturally-shed deer antlers, concrete, paper, hand-blown glass, and wood used in skateboards are just a few examples of the expansive materials encompassed in the more recently made objects.

A collection with local origins and an international scope, this body of work demonstrates the breadth of Jewish cultural expression and the ongoing significance of religious art in contemporary art and design.

Admission: free