Tefillin set, beginning of the 20th c.

Tefillin is a set of two boxes, each with connected leather straps containing parchment scrolls with Torah verses pertaining to ritual commandments. Orthodox men tie one box to their forehead and the other to their left arm, wrapping the connected leather strap around the lower arm and hand for daily prayers. This tefillin set, which belonged to Heinrich Tischler, bears the Hebrew letter shin, a symbol of one of God’s names and the beginning of the prayer Shema Israel, or Hear, O Israel.