The Erfurt Treasure is a hoard of coins, goldsmith’s work and jewelry that belonged to Jews, who secreted them hastily in 1349 at the time of the Black Death pogroms. The pieces were found in 1998 in the wall of a house in the medieval Jewish neighborhood of Erfurt, Germany.
One ring takes the form of a miniature house representing the Temple of Jerusalem and the nuptial home, a very typical design at this time. The ring is inscribed in Hebrew with the words Mazal Tov, meaning good fortune.
Read more at Suite101: Treasures of the Black Death
The Erfurt Treasure is a hoard of coins, goldsmith’s work and jewelry that belonged to Jews, who secreted them hastily in 1349 at the time of the Black Death pogroms. The pieces were found in 1998 in the wall of a house in the medieval Jewish neighborhood of Erfurt, Germany.
One the rarest items is a silver gilt toilet set (also known as a cosmetic set), comprised of a chain with bottle and accessories. The bottle is decorated with a six-point star and contained cotton fibres soaked with a liquid, which may have been perfume. The bottle stopper is formed in the shape of flower petals. There are three small implements, only one of which, an ear cleaner, has survived intact.
Read more at Suite101: Treasures of the Black Death
