Handwritten leaf, authorization given to a woman to bury her husband in the Jewish cemetery in the city of Cochin (India) complying with his testament, signed by the members of the Beit Din and the heads of the Jewish community. Cochin, Nissan 1871.
Stated in the authorization that "Mrs. Farha daughter of Yitzchak Ashkenazi brought her husband Efraim Zalman son of Yosef Ashkenazi from the city of Madras (Chennai) to the city of Cochin to bury him in a Jewish cemetery…". The Beit Din members and the heads of the "white" Jewish community in Cochin signed the authorization: R. Efraim Yosef, R. Moshe Elya Rachavi, R. Elya David Rechavi, R. Shmuel Chaim Rachavi and R. Yosef David Rachavi. Added to the top of the leaf is a stamp of the Cochin synagogue, as written in the authorization: "She should have proof and testimony that she fulfilled her husband's will…we have written and signed…and also placed the stamp of the synagogue…".
Folded leaf, [1] page. 20 cm. Bluish paper. Fair condition. Stains and dampstains, folding creases and tears.
Provenance: Sassoon family collection.

Manuscript, serach of Mishlei and Kohelet, Judeo-Arabic. Rangoon, Burma (today: Yangon, Myanmar), 1908.
Square, vowelized script.
Manuscript includes Ketzet Chana at the end [story of Chana in Judeo-Arabic].
Colophon on leaf 31, after the serach of Mishlei: "Completed…Rosh Chodesh Tamuz 1908 Rangoon".
[48] leaves. 21 cm. Condition varies. Approximately 15 leaves of Serach Mishlei are torn (from ink erosion), heavily affecting the text. Serach Kohelet and Ketzet Chana are complete and in good condition (with the exception of a small tear to the margins of one leaf). New binding.

Diverse collection of manuscripts, and fragments of manuscripts and printed matter.
The collection is composed of:
Various manuscripts in Oriental writing [Oriental countries, most are from Baghdad and India]: · Manuscript, songs for Hakafot and for Simchat Torah. · Manuscript, Haftarah of Tisha B'Av, with Serach [Judeo-Arabic transaction]. · Manuscript, Passover Haggadah, with Serach [Judeo-Arabic translation]. · Manuscript, Shabbat songs with Birkat HaMazon. · Manuscript, songs for various occasions [Shabbat HaGadol, Chanuka, etc.]. · Manuscript, refrains for those who receive an aliya on Simchat Torah. · Manuscript, poem for Purim [damaged and lacking]. On the first leaf is a dedication by the writer: "Gift for the dear…wife of the influential Ezra Meir son of R. Avraham Shalom Saliman Shimon in the city of Singapore". · Several handwritten leaves, commentary on the Book of Tehillim (Chapters 17-18). · More manuscript or sections of manuscripts.
· Binding of a book, with manuscript fragments, customs of shechita and terefot according to the Marrakesh tradition (Sassoon manuscript, Ohel David, p. 753), and more unidentified fragments.
· [7] leaves from the Book of Kohelet with Rashi commentary. Unidentified printing press.
· Various printed leaves, some fragments of ancient printed leaves removed from the "Binding Geniza", a number of proclamations related to the Babylonian community in Jerusalem, and more.
Approximately 50 items. Size and condition vary.
Provenance: Sassoon family collection.