Over time, tradition established a parallel between the parokhet covering the doors of the Torah scroll arc and the biblical curtain at the entrance to the “Holy of Holies”. In the 16th century, the canons of late Renaissance and Baroque composition and design of the parokhet began to take shape.

The parokhet was decorated with paired sacral elements: two pillars reminding of Solomon’s temple, tablets with the brief text of the Ten Commandments, crowns, Star of David, two hands in a gesture of kohen blessing, lions, quotations from sacred books, and dedicatory texts. The permanent symbols and motifs maintained confidence in the enduring value of Judaism.

Traditionally, parokhets were made of velvet, silk, sateen and lace. The fabrics were decorated with intricate applique work and gold embroidery. There were two types of parokhet: those that were made from a single piece of fabric, and the others that were made from different in texture and color materials, like the parokhet from the collection of the Russian Museum of Ethnography. It has a “mirror” in the center — a piece of light-colored brocade — with wide stripes of light brown velvet sewn into the frame. Parokhets, like most objects in synagogues, were offerings from members of the congregation, so their fineness depended on the tastes and wealth of the donor.