Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
Displaying 1 - 12 of 25
Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $8,000
Unsold
Embroidered tablecloth for Pesach and the holidays. Germany, 1778-1779.
A large tablecloth with embroidered decorations portraying biblical scenes, symbols and customs related to the Shalosh Regalim (the three pilgrimages) and Rosh HaShanah, chapters of Pirkei Avot and prayers. The tablecloth is an example of the custom of German Jewry to use elaborate fabrics for special ceremonies celebrated during the Jewish Year. This is a rare tablecloth in respect to its size, condition and the abundance of decorations. For additional information, see Prof. Shalom Sabar's essay. 162X137 cm, in a 3.5 cm wide frame. Fair condition. Dark stains and tears. Damages to the embroidery.
A large tablecloth with embroidered decorations portraying biblical scenes, symbols and customs related to the Shalosh Regalim (the three pilgrimages) and Rosh HaShanah, chapters of Pirkei Avot and prayers. The tablecloth is an example of the custom of German Jewry to use elaborate fabrics for special ceremonies celebrated during the Jewish Year. This is a rare tablecloth in respect to its size, condition and the abundance of decorations. For additional information, see Prof. Shalom Sabar's essay. 162X137 cm, in a 3.5 cm wide frame. Fair condition. Dark stains and tears. Damages to the embroidery.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $10,000
Unsold
Six decorated brass plaques, meant for hanging on walls. Middle East [Syria?], early 20th century.
Large and solid plaques of hammered and engraved brass, placed on wooden backs, which were used for decoration as wall hangings. The six plaques are decorated with floral and vegetal motifs, Hebrew texts (citations from the Book of Exodus and Psalms) and various impressive decorations, as follows:
1-2. A pair of plaques with vegetal, floral and palm tree decorations. On one plaque appears the text, "The Righteous will flourish like a palm tree" and the emblems of the tribes of Reuven, Shimon, Levy, Yehudah, Zevulun, and Issachar. The second plaque carries the text, "Will grow like the cedar in Lebanon" and the emblems of the tribes of Dan, Gad, Asher, Naftali, Yossef, and Binyamin. 72.5X44 cm. each.
3-4. A pair of plaques with floral and vegetal decorations, one with the text, "I shall carry you on the wings" with the image of an eagle facing left; and on the other, "of eagles and shall lead you to me" with the image of an eagle facing right. 37.5X44 cm each.
5. Plaque with floral and vegetal decorations. An image of a large Menorah supported by two lions appears in the center, and above the text, "You are the source of life and in your light we shall see light." 72.4X44 cm.
6. Plaque with floral and vegetal decorations. The image of a large crown appears on the upper section, and in the center is an image of the Torah in a mantle, decorated with pomegranates and the Ten Commandments. 72.5X44 cm.
Large and solid plaques of hammered and engraved brass, placed on wooden backs, which were used for decoration as wall hangings. The six plaques are decorated with floral and vegetal motifs, Hebrew texts (citations from the Book of Exodus and Psalms) and various impressive decorations, as follows:
1-2. A pair of plaques with vegetal, floral and palm tree decorations. On one plaque appears the text, "The Righteous will flourish like a palm tree" and the emblems of the tribes of Reuven, Shimon, Levy, Yehudah, Zevulun, and Issachar. The second plaque carries the text, "Will grow like the cedar in Lebanon" and the emblems of the tribes of Dan, Gad, Asher, Naftali, Yossef, and Binyamin. 72.5X44 cm. each.
3-4. A pair of plaques with floral and vegetal decorations, one with the text, "I shall carry you on the wings" with the image of an eagle facing left; and on the other, "of eagles and shall lead you to me" with the image of an eagle facing right. 37.5X44 cm each.
5. Plaque with floral and vegetal decorations. An image of a large Menorah supported by two lions appears in the center, and above the text, "You are the source of life and in your light we shall see light." 72.4X44 cm.
6. Plaque with floral and vegetal decorations. The image of a large crown appears on the upper section, and in the center is an image of the Torah in a mantle, decorated with pomegranates and the Ten Commandments. 72.5X44 cm.
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Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $13,000
Unsold
Kiseh Eliyahu HaNavi [The Chair of Elijah the Prophet]. Békéscsaba, Hungary, early 20th century.
Upholstered wooden chair with fabric upholstery. On its back, a stylish wooden plaque decorated with gilded borders and two metal ornaments bearing the caption, “Kiseh Eliyahu HaNavi in commemoration of the religious congregation of Békéscsaba, donated by Menachem Karaleck and his wife Mrs. Mascha, 1910.”
The arms and side panels of the chair are upholstered in red velvet, and the seat and backrest are upholstered in dark red fabric. (The upholstery of the arms and side panels is original; the backrest and seat have been re-upholstered.) The chair stands on four tall (original) wooden legs.
The chair is particularly wide and seats two. Unlike many communities in which the custom was to designate one chair for the "Sandak" and a separate chair for Eliyahu HaNavi, this chair is wide, in accordance with the custom of the Safed congregation and other congregations, where the Sandak sits to the left of Eliyahu HaNavi on the same chair (in accordance with the Halachic ruling that a disciple is prohibited from sitting to the right of his rabbi).
The Jewish congregation of Békéscsaba dates back to the late 18th or early 19th century (the oldest tombstone in the local Jewish cemetery is dated 1810). In 1825, five Jews are known to have resided the city. In the 1840s, upon the revocation of the ban of movement of Jews, the city's Jewish population began to grow and by 1851 the number of Jews amounted to 110. The Békéscsaba congregation served as a communal center for all the Jews of the Békés District. Following the rift the occurred in the Hungarian congregations in 1869, the Békéscsaba congregation defined itself as Orthodox; however, in 1872 it became a "Status Quo" congregation. This change was not to the liking of the Orthodox Jews, who in response established a separate congregation, known as "Shomrei HaDat," in 1883. The first synagogue in Békéscsaba was built in 1850 and in 1894, the Orthodox-Hassidic community founded a separate synagogue of their own – and it is from this later synagogue that this Chair of Eliyahu HaNavi originated.
Height: 122 cm. Width: 110 cm. Depth: 61 cm. In generally good condition. Some of the paint and writing has faded and been damaged over the years.
Upholstered wooden chair with fabric upholstery. On its back, a stylish wooden plaque decorated with gilded borders and two metal ornaments bearing the caption, “Kiseh Eliyahu HaNavi in commemoration of the religious congregation of Békéscsaba, donated by Menachem Karaleck and his wife Mrs. Mascha, 1910.”
The arms and side panels of the chair are upholstered in red velvet, and the seat and backrest are upholstered in dark red fabric. (The upholstery of the arms and side panels is original; the backrest and seat have been re-upholstered.) The chair stands on four tall (original) wooden legs.
The chair is particularly wide and seats two. Unlike many communities in which the custom was to designate one chair for the "Sandak" and a separate chair for Eliyahu HaNavi, this chair is wide, in accordance with the custom of the Safed congregation and other congregations, where the Sandak sits to the left of Eliyahu HaNavi on the same chair (in accordance with the Halachic ruling that a disciple is prohibited from sitting to the right of his rabbi).
The Jewish congregation of Békéscsaba dates back to the late 18th or early 19th century (the oldest tombstone in the local Jewish cemetery is dated 1810). In 1825, five Jews are known to have resided the city. In the 1840s, upon the revocation of the ban of movement of Jews, the city's Jewish population began to grow and by 1851 the number of Jews amounted to 110. The Békéscsaba congregation served as a communal center for all the Jews of the Békés District. Following the rift the occurred in the Hungarian congregations in 1869, the Békéscsaba congregation defined itself as Orthodox; however, in 1872 it became a "Status Quo" congregation. This change was not to the liking of the Orthodox Jews, who in response established a separate congregation, known as "Shomrei HaDat," in 1883. The first synagogue in Békéscsaba was built in 1850 and in 1894, the Orthodox-Hassidic community founded a separate synagogue of their own – and it is from this later synagogue that this Chair of Eliyahu HaNavi originated.
Height: 122 cm. Width: 110 cm. Depth: 61 cm. In generally good condition. Some of the paint and writing has faded and been damaged over the years.
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Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $14,000
Unsold
"Mizrach" carpet made by Eliyahu Haim Levy. Kashan, (Persia), (early 20th century).
A "Mizrach" carpet designed after a "Mizrach" by Rabbi Shaul Ben Pinchas Hornstein (the latter a lithograph in color published in Vienna in 1888 by Em. Joachim). Rabbi Shaul Hornstein was the author of "Givat Shaul" (Vienna 1883), a book about the geography and history of Eretz Israel settlements and holy sites from biblical days to modern times.
On the lower part of the carpet appears the inscription, "I researched and examined… here in Vienna, I… Shaul Hornstein… Creation of Eliyahu Haim Levy". This text merges the text of the Hornstein "Mizrach" from 1889 and the signature of the carpet artisan, who copied the Hornstein version word by word. The weaver also copied the inscription on the upper part of the Hornstein "Mizrach" marking the tally of years since the construction of the Temple and its destruction (equaling 1889).
The carpet, woven in vivid colors, includes graphic descriptions of sites, graves and towns in Eretz Israel. At the top we see the Tomb of the kings of the Kingdom of David and the Tomb of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess; In the center, a large image of the Western Wall and Jerusalem, below which appear sites on the Mediterranean seashore ("Yam HaGadol"): "Zo Ir HaKodesh Yaffo," (the Tomb of) "Elisha the Prophet (on) Mount Carmel," "Ir HaKodesh Haifa" and "Zo Ir HaKodesh Zidon." Along the right margins appear images of the Tomb of Yossef HaTzadik, the Cave of the Machpelah, Rachel's Tomb, the Tomb of Shamai HaZaken and the tombs of the Rambam and HaShla; on the left we see the Tomb of "Rabbi Yohanan (HaSandlar), the Tomb of Hoshe'a the Prophet, the Tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochay, the Tomb of the Prophet Samuel and the site of the Tiberias Hot Springs.
The carpet is not mentioned in "Jewish Carpets – A History and Guide" by Anton Felton (England: Antique Collectors' Club, 1977).
92.5X116 cm. Good condition. Non-original fringes. Minor damage at center, minor damages and tears at borders.
A "Mizrach" carpet designed after a "Mizrach" by Rabbi Shaul Ben Pinchas Hornstein (the latter a lithograph in color published in Vienna in 1888 by Em. Joachim). Rabbi Shaul Hornstein was the author of "Givat Shaul" (Vienna 1883), a book about the geography and history of Eretz Israel settlements and holy sites from biblical days to modern times.
On the lower part of the carpet appears the inscription, "I researched and examined… here in Vienna, I… Shaul Hornstein… Creation of Eliyahu Haim Levy". This text merges the text of the Hornstein "Mizrach" from 1889 and the signature of the carpet artisan, who copied the Hornstein version word by word. The weaver also copied the inscription on the upper part of the Hornstein "Mizrach" marking the tally of years since the construction of the Temple and its destruction (equaling 1889).
The carpet, woven in vivid colors, includes graphic descriptions of sites, graves and towns in Eretz Israel. At the top we see the Tomb of the kings of the Kingdom of David and the Tomb of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess; In the center, a large image of the Western Wall and Jerusalem, below which appear sites on the Mediterranean seashore ("Yam HaGadol"): "Zo Ir HaKodesh Yaffo," (the Tomb of) "Elisha the Prophet (on) Mount Carmel," "Ir HaKodesh Haifa" and "Zo Ir HaKodesh Zidon." Along the right margins appear images of the Tomb of Yossef HaTzadik, the Cave of the Machpelah, Rachel's Tomb, the Tomb of Shamai HaZaken and the tombs of the Rambam and HaShla; on the left we see the Tomb of "Rabbi Yohanan (HaSandlar), the Tomb of Hoshe'a the Prophet, the Tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochay, the Tomb of the Prophet Samuel and the site of the Tiberias Hot Springs.
The carpet is not mentioned in "Jewish Carpets – A History and Guide" by Anton Felton (England: Antique Collectors' Club, 1977).
92.5X116 cm. Good condition. Non-original fringes. Minor damage at center, minor damages and tears at borders.
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Rare and Important Items
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Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $10,000
Sold for: $12,500
Including buyer's premium
1. Portrait of Rabbi Yehezkel Landau. Etching by M. Klauber. Prague, [ca. 1840]. The caption below the portrait reads, "Ezechiel Landau, Oberrabbiner bey der Israelitengemeinde in Prag – … for forty years he led the Jewish congregation as a shepherd…."
About 36X30 cm, framed to a size of 64.5X54.5 cm. Not examined out of the frame. Good condition. Some creases and stains. Minor tears at the borders, restored.
Literature: Rubens, Alfred. A Jewish Iconography. London: The Jewish Museum, 1954. No. 2103.
2. Portrait of Rabbi Shmuel Landau. Lithographic print by M. Schmelkes. Prague, [mid 19th century].
The caption below the portrait reads, "Rabbi Samuel Landau, Erster Oberjurist und Religions Vorsteher zu Prag – the Gaon Rabbi Shmuel Segal Landau, known for his responsa and glosses in the Noda BeYehuda book…".
About 39X29 cm, framed to a size of 64.5X54.5 cm. Not examined out of the frame. Fair-good condition. Tears and damages to right side, restored. Stains.
The Gaon Rabbi Yehezkel HaLevy (Segal) Landau (1713-1793), Prague's famous rabbi, was an influential authority in Halacha and a leading rabbinical figure. He was the author of the Responsa book "Noda BeYehuda," "Sefer Tziyun LeNefesh Chaya" and others. His son, the Gaon Rabbi Shmuel Landau (1740-1831), succeeded his father as rabbi of Prague, and was known as one of the leading religious figures of his generation. His Responsa and homiletics were printed in his father's books and in his own book "Shivat Zion."
About 36X30 cm, framed to a size of 64.5X54.5 cm. Not examined out of the frame. Good condition. Some creases and stains. Minor tears at the borders, restored.
Literature: Rubens, Alfred. A Jewish Iconography. London: The Jewish Museum, 1954. No. 2103.
2. Portrait of Rabbi Shmuel Landau. Lithographic print by M. Schmelkes. Prague, [mid 19th century].
The caption below the portrait reads, "Rabbi Samuel Landau, Erster Oberjurist und Religions Vorsteher zu Prag – the Gaon Rabbi Shmuel Segal Landau, known for his responsa and glosses in the Noda BeYehuda book…".
About 39X29 cm, framed to a size of 64.5X54.5 cm. Not examined out of the frame. Fair-good condition. Tears and damages to right side, restored. Stains.
The Gaon Rabbi Yehezkel HaLevy (Segal) Landau (1713-1793), Prague's famous rabbi, was an influential authority in Halacha and a leading rabbinical figure. He was the author of the Responsa book "Noda BeYehuda," "Sefer Tziyun LeNefesh Chaya" and others. His son, the Gaon Rabbi Shmuel Landau (1740-1831), succeeded his father as rabbi of Prague, and was known as one of the leading religious figures of his generation. His Responsa and homiletics were printed in his father's books and in his own book "Shivat Zion."
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Rare and Important Items
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Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $7,500
Unsold
Megillat Esther, accurate Stam script, with illustrations. Acrylic, gold and ink on parchment. [Israel, 2008.]
The scroll consist of four large parchment sheets (height 44 cm) sewn together with tendons. The Stam script is accompanied by numerous color decorations and illustrations portraying scenes from the story of the Megillah. The text is in 16 columns; each two columns are separated by a decorated column and the margins are decorated with floral and vegetal motifs. On the lower section of eight of the columns appear illustrations. A particularly large drawing opens the Megillah. The final illustration portrays figures of six Jews in a synagogue. The artist's details (D.A. Epstein) appear in the illustration on the curtain covering the Holy Ark.
338X44 cm. Illustrations: 19X11 cm to 20X40 cm. Very good condition. In a fine fabric pouch placed in a remarkable wooden box, 63 cm high.
The scroll consist of four large parchment sheets (height 44 cm) sewn together with tendons. The Stam script is accompanied by numerous color decorations and illustrations portraying scenes from the story of the Megillah. The text is in 16 columns; each two columns are separated by a decorated column and the margins are decorated with floral and vegetal motifs. On the lower section of eight of the columns appear illustrations. A particularly large drawing opens the Megillah. The final illustration portrays figures of six Jews in a synagogue. The artist's details (D.A. Epstein) appear in the illustration on the curtain covering the Holy Ark.
338X44 cm. Illustrations: 19X11 cm to 20X40 cm. Very good condition. In a fine fabric pouch placed in a remarkable wooden box, 63 cm high.
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Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $10,000
Sold for: $12,500
Including buyer's premium
An extensive, rare and valuable collection of approximately 1,280 Jewish Ex-Libris bookplates.
The collection includes numerous bookplates designed by leading Jewish artists, including Hermann Struck, Joseph Budko, Ephraim Moshe Lilien, Arthur Szyk, Zeev Raban, Meir Gur-Aryeh, Jacob Starck, Miron Sima and others. Some are original etchings and prints, signed in pencil by the artist; amongst them is an original sketch.
The collection encompasses a wide variety of bookplates designed by the above-mentioned artists. Many feature iconic creations by the artists, which over the years have become recognized symbols of their respective oeuvres. Also present are numerous bookplates designed for famous people.
The main part of the collection consists of private bookplates, both Israeli and European, but it includes also dozens of Jewish institutional bookplates, including from research institutes, libraries and university collections.
The collection, arranged in three albums, belonged to a private collector who assembled the bookplates tirelessly, one by one, for many years, succeeding thus in creating a rare collection in respect to its scope, scarcity and quality. (Some of the bookplates appear in multiple copies.)
The collection includes numerous bookplates designed by leading Jewish artists, including Hermann Struck, Joseph Budko, Ephraim Moshe Lilien, Arthur Szyk, Zeev Raban, Meir Gur-Aryeh, Jacob Starck, Miron Sima and others. Some are original etchings and prints, signed in pencil by the artist; amongst them is an original sketch.
The collection encompasses a wide variety of bookplates designed by the above-mentioned artists. Many feature iconic creations by the artists, which over the years have become recognized symbols of their respective oeuvres. Also present are numerous bookplates designed for famous people.
The main part of the collection consists of private bookplates, both Israeli and European, but it includes also dozens of Jewish institutional bookplates, including from research institutes, libraries and university collections.
The collection, arranged in three albums, belonged to a private collector who assembled the bookplates tirelessly, one by one, for many years, succeeding thus in creating a rare collection in respect to its scope, scarcity and quality. (Some of the bookplates appear in multiple copies.)
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $5,000
Sold for: $6,250
Including buyer's premium
Forty-three photographs taken by Israel Netach, a Jewish photographer who operated under disguise amidst Arab gangs during Israel's War of Independence, 1948.
Israel Netach (Ben-Yitach) was born in Acre in 1918 and died in Ramat Gan in 2008. When he was two years old his family moved to Damascus. At the age of 13, he joined his cousin and the two collaborated on the smuggling of Syrian Jews from Damascus to Eretz Israel on behalf of the Jewish Agency. In 1953, he was recruited into the “Haganah.” During the course of the Independence War, with the assistance of an Arab friend, a resident of Jaffa who was closely associated with senior members of the “Haganah,” he disguised himself as an Arab photojournalist using a forged photographer's certificate and a forged identity card in the name of “Ibrahim Ibn Ibrahim Siyad.” Together with his colleague, who was a cousin of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini, leader of the Arab gangs and authorities in the Jerusalem region during the War of Independence, he documented the activity of the gangs and transferred photographs as well as extremely valuable intelligence information to the “Haganah” regarding the deployment of the Arab forces within Jerusalem and its surroundings – the Castel, Gush Etzion and area of Mt. Hebron.
Netach's photographs depict the War of Independence from an unconventional perspective and serve as evidence of one of the most intriguing espionage affairs of the State of Israel. Some are rare photographs, which are not included in the standard photographic evidence of the War of Independence.
The lot includes photographs showing the following events: An armored truck going up in flames after being attacked by Arab forces on its way from Atarot to Jerusalem (apparently, one of the two armored vehicles of the “Atarot Convoy,” which was attacked on March 24, 1948 resulting in the death of 14 Jewish soldiers) (two photographs); a street in Jaffa, blockaded with barrels and stones; the funeral procession of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini; a demonstration parade of members of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini's gang in the Castel village (leading the marchers is Al-Husseini himself, wearing high boots); Al-Husseini and his fighters in an army base north of Ramallah, prior to the ascent to Gush Etzion (January 1948); Al-Husseini and his commanders studying maps (including his assistant Kasm Rimavi), escorted by bodyguards and warriors (this photograph was taken on the Castel on April 7, 1948 and is the last known photograph of Al-Husseini, who was killed on the Castel that same night); volunteer fighters of Al-Husseini in the area of Beit She’an on their way to conquer the Castel, April 1948; Fawzi Al-Qawuqji, commander of the Arab Liberation Army (a joint Arab, Iraqi, Syrian and Druze volunteer force established in Syria in order to aid the Arabs of Israel in their battles against the Jewish settlement during War of Independence) briefing his warriors in Al-Mansi village prior to the attack on Kibbutz Mishmar Ha’Emek, April 1948; corpses of soldiers of the famed Lamed Hey Convoy lying on the battlefield between the Arab villages of Jaba and Tzurif, January 1948; dead bodies of soldiers killed in the Gush Etzion battles; Arab volunteer forces training in Jerusalem area (some of these photographs were staged); the explosion of the Palestine Post building in Jerusalem, February, 1948; a car bomb explosion on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, February 1948 (this terrorist attack, planned by Al-Husseini, caused the demolition of three buildings on Ben Yehuda Street and the death of 58 people); additional photographs. Many of the photographs are dated in handwriting on the reverse.
Total of forty-three photographs, thirty-two of which depict various aspect of Arab gangs (in training, leaders, and significant events), all taken from an Arab perspective, and eleven photographs showing the training of “Haganah” forces.
The collection includes also dozens of family and group photographs, newspaper excerpts, articles on Netach and personal letters from various periods, including many letters he received from various Knesset members, ministers and public figures to whom he had sent a copy of his book “Israel Netach – Israeli Patriot” (Ramat Gan, 2005). These items include a handwritten letter from David Ben Gurion, photographs with Golda Meir, and more. The documents teach us also that Netach was a talented cyclist in the HaPo’el sports organization.
From the articles and letters included in this lot it is apparent that for many years Netach kept his story secret, for fear of the life of his father, who continued to reside in Syria. After his father immigrated to Israel, Netach made his story public, via family members, in the press, and to his many clients, customers of his falafel stand in Jaffa.
Size: 8X6.5 cm. to 10X7.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Most are torn, creased and stained. Remnants of glue and black cardboard on the reverse (evidence of the photographs having been removed from an album).
Forty-three photographs taken by Israel Netach, a Jewish photographer who operated under disguise amidst Arab gangs during Israel's War of Independence, 1948.
Israel Netach (Ben-Yitach) was born in Acre in 1918 and died in Ramat Gan in 2008. When he was two years old his family moved to Damascus. At the age of 13, he joined his cousin and the two collaborated on the smuggling of Syrian Jews from Damascus to Eretz Israel on behalf of the Jewish Agency. In 1953, he was recruited into the “Haganah.” During the course of the Independence War, with the assistance of an Arab friend, a resident of Jaffa who was closely associated with senior members of the “Haganah,” he disguised himself as an Arab photojournalist using a forged photographer's certificate and a forged identity card in the name of “Ibrahim Ibn Ibrahim Siyad.” Together with his colleague, who was a cousin of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini, leader of the Arab gangs and authorities in the Jerusalem region during the War of Independence, he documented the activity of the gangs and transferred photographs as well as extremely valuable intelligence information to the “Haganah” regarding the deployment of the Arab forces within Jerusalem and its surroundings – the Castel, Gush Etzion and area of Mt. Hebron.
Netach's photographs depict the War of Independence from an unconventional perspective and serve as evidence of one of the most intriguing espionage affairs of the State of Israel. Some are rare photographs, which are not included in the standard photographic evidence of the War of Independence.
The lot includes photographs showing the following events: An armored truck going up in flames after being attacked by Arab forces on its way from Atarot to Jerusalem (apparently, one of the two armored vehicles of the “Atarot Convoy,” which was attacked on March 24, 1948 resulting in the death of 14 Jewish soldiers) (two photographs); a street in Jaffa, blockaded with barrels and stones; the funeral procession of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini; a demonstration parade of members of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini's gang in the Castel village (leading the marchers is Al-Husseini himself, wearing high boots); Al-Husseini and his fighters in an army base north of Ramallah, prior to the ascent to Gush Etzion (January 1948); Al-Husseini and his commanders studying maps (including his assistant Kasm Rimavi), escorted by bodyguards and warriors (this photograph was taken on the Castel on April 7, 1948 and is the last known photograph of Al-Husseini, who was killed on the Castel that same night); volunteer fighters of Al-Husseini in the area of Beit She’an on their way to conquer the Castel, April 1948; Fawzi Al-Qawuqji, commander of the Arab Liberation Army (a joint Arab, Iraqi, Syrian and Druze volunteer force established in Syria in order to aid the Arabs of Israel in their battles against the Jewish settlement during War of Independence) briefing his warriors in Al-Mansi village prior to the attack on Kibbutz Mishmar Ha’Emek, April 1948; corpses of soldiers of the famed Lamed Hey Convoy lying on the battlefield between the Arab villages of Jaba and Tzurif, January 1948; dead bodies of soldiers killed in the Gush Etzion battles; Arab volunteer forces training in Jerusalem area (some of these photographs were staged); the explosion of the Palestine Post building in Jerusalem, February, 1948; a car bomb explosion on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, February 1948 (this terrorist attack, planned by Al-Husseini, caused the demolition of three buildings on Ben Yehuda Street and the death of 58 people); additional photographs. Many of the photographs are dated in handwriting on the reverse.
Total of forty-three photographs, thirty-two of which depict various aspect of Arab gangs (in training, leaders, and significant events), all taken from an Arab perspective, and eleven photographs showing the training of “Haganah” forces.
The collection includes also dozens of family and group photographs, newspaper excerpts, articles on Netach and personal letters from various periods, including many letters he received from various Knesset members, ministers and public figures to whom he had sent a copy of his book “Israel Netach – Israeli Patriot” (Ramat Gan, 2005). These items include a handwritten letter from David Ben Gurion, photographs with Golda Meir, and more. The documents teach us also that Netach was a talented cyclist in the HaPo’el sports organization.
From the articles and letters included in this lot it is apparent that for many years Netach kept his story secret, for fear of the life of his father, who continued to reside in Syria. After his father immigrated to Israel, Netach made his story public, via family members, in the press, and to his many clients, customers of his falafel stand in Jaffa.
Size: 8X6.5 cm. to 10X7.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Most are torn, creased and stained. Remnants of glue and black cardboard on the reverse (evidence of the photographs having been removed from an album).
Israel Netach (Ben-Yitach) was born in Acre in 1918 and died in Ramat Gan in 2008. When he was two years old his family moved to Damascus. At the age of 13, he joined his cousin and the two collaborated on the smuggling of Syrian Jews from Damascus to Eretz Israel on behalf of the Jewish Agency. In 1953, he was recruited into the “Haganah.” During the course of the Independence War, with the assistance of an Arab friend, a resident of Jaffa who was closely associated with senior members of the “Haganah,” he disguised himself as an Arab photojournalist using a forged photographer's certificate and a forged identity card in the name of “Ibrahim Ibn Ibrahim Siyad.” Together with his colleague, who was a cousin of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini, leader of the Arab gangs and authorities in the Jerusalem region during the War of Independence, he documented the activity of the gangs and transferred photographs as well as extremely valuable intelligence information to the “Haganah” regarding the deployment of the Arab forces within Jerusalem and its surroundings – the Castel, Gush Etzion and area of Mt. Hebron.
Netach's photographs depict the War of Independence from an unconventional perspective and serve as evidence of one of the most intriguing espionage affairs of the State of Israel. Some are rare photographs, which are not included in the standard photographic evidence of the War of Independence.
The lot includes photographs showing the following events: An armored truck going up in flames after being attacked by Arab forces on its way from Atarot to Jerusalem (apparently, one of the two armored vehicles of the “Atarot Convoy,” which was attacked on March 24, 1948 resulting in the death of 14 Jewish soldiers) (two photographs); a street in Jaffa, blockaded with barrels and stones; the funeral procession of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini; a demonstration parade of members of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini's gang in the Castel village (leading the marchers is Al-Husseini himself, wearing high boots); Al-Husseini and his fighters in an army base north of Ramallah, prior to the ascent to Gush Etzion (January 1948); Al-Husseini and his commanders studying maps (including his assistant Kasm Rimavi), escorted by bodyguards and warriors (this photograph was taken on the Castel on April 7, 1948 and is the last known photograph of Al-Husseini, who was killed on the Castel that same night); volunteer fighters of Al-Husseini in the area of Beit She’an on their way to conquer the Castel, April 1948; Fawzi Al-Qawuqji, commander of the Arab Liberation Army (a joint Arab, Iraqi, Syrian and Druze volunteer force established in Syria in order to aid the Arabs of Israel in their battles against the Jewish settlement during War of Independence) briefing his warriors in Al-Mansi village prior to the attack on Kibbutz Mishmar Ha’Emek, April 1948; corpses of soldiers of the famed Lamed Hey Convoy lying on the battlefield between the Arab villages of Jaba and Tzurif, January 1948; dead bodies of soldiers killed in the Gush Etzion battles; Arab volunteer forces training in Jerusalem area (some of these photographs were staged); the explosion of the Palestine Post building in Jerusalem, February, 1948; a car bomb explosion on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, February 1948 (this terrorist attack, planned by Al-Husseini, caused the demolition of three buildings on Ben Yehuda Street and the death of 58 people); additional photographs. Many of the photographs are dated in handwriting on the reverse.
Total of forty-three photographs, thirty-two of which depict various aspect of Arab gangs (in training, leaders, and significant events), all taken from an Arab perspective, and eleven photographs showing the training of “Haganah” forces.
The collection includes also dozens of family and group photographs, newspaper excerpts, articles on Netach and personal letters from various periods, including many letters he received from various Knesset members, ministers and public figures to whom he had sent a copy of his book “Israel Netach – Israeli Patriot” (Ramat Gan, 2005). These items include a handwritten letter from David Ben Gurion, photographs with Golda Meir, and more. The documents teach us also that Netach was a talented cyclist in the HaPo’el sports organization.
From the articles and letters included in this lot it is apparent that for many years Netach kept his story secret, for fear of the life of his father, who continued to reside in Syria. After his father immigrated to Israel, Netach made his story public, via family members, in the press, and to his many clients, customers of his falafel stand in Jaffa.
Size: 8X6.5 cm. to 10X7.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Most are torn, creased and stained. Remnants of glue and black cardboard on the reverse (evidence of the photographs having been removed from an album).
Forty-three photographs taken by Israel Netach, a Jewish photographer who operated under disguise amidst Arab gangs during Israel's War of Independence, 1948.
Israel Netach (Ben-Yitach) was born in Acre in 1918 and died in Ramat Gan in 2008. When he was two years old his family moved to Damascus. At the age of 13, he joined his cousin and the two collaborated on the smuggling of Syrian Jews from Damascus to Eretz Israel on behalf of the Jewish Agency. In 1953, he was recruited into the “Haganah.” During the course of the Independence War, with the assistance of an Arab friend, a resident of Jaffa who was closely associated with senior members of the “Haganah,” he disguised himself as an Arab photojournalist using a forged photographer's certificate and a forged identity card in the name of “Ibrahim Ibn Ibrahim Siyad.” Together with his colleague, who was a cousin of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini, leader of the Arab gangs and authorities in the Jerusalem region during the War of Independence, he documented the activity of the gangs and transferred photographs as well as extremely valuable intelligence information to the “Haganah” regarding the deployment of the Arab forces within Jerusalem and its surroundings – the Castel, Gush Etzion and area of Mt. Hebron.
Netach's photographs depict the War of Independence from an unconventional perspective and serve as evidence of one of the most intriguing espionage affairs of the State of Israel. Some are rare photographs, which are not included in the standard photographic evidence of the War of Independence.
The lot includes photographs showing the following events: An armored truck going up in flames after being attacked by Arab forces on its way from Atarot to Jerusalem (apparently, one of the two armored vehicles of the “Atarot Convoy,” which was attacked on March 24, 1948 resulting in the death of 14 Jewish soldiers) (two photographs); a street in Jaffa, blockaded with barrels and stones; the funeral procession of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini; a demonstration parade of members of Abd Al Qader Al-Husseini's gang in the Castel village (leading the marchers is Al-Husseini himself, wearing high boots); Al-Husseini and his fighters in an army base north of Ramallah, prior to the ascent to Gush Etzion (January 1948); Al-Husseini and his commanders studying maps (including his assistant Kasm Rimavi), escorted by bodyguards and warriors (this photograph was taken on the Castel on April 7, 1948 and is the last known photograph of Al-Husseini, who was killed on the Castel that same night); volunteer fighters of Al-Husseini in the area of Beit She’an on their way to conquer the Castel, April 1948; Fawzi Al-Qawuqji, commander of the Arab Liberation Army (a joint Arab, Iraqi, Syrian and Druze volunteer force established in Syria in order to aid the Arabs of Israel in their battles against the Jewish settlement during War of Independence) briefing his warriors in Al-Mansi village prior to the attack on Kibbutz Mishmar Ha’Emek, April 1948; corpses of soldiers of the famed Lamed Hey Convoy lying on the battlefield between the Arab villages of Jaba and Tzurif, January 1948; dead bodies of soldiers killed in the Gush Etzion battles; Arab volunteer forces training in Jerusalem area (some of these photographs were staged); the explosion of the Palestine Post building in Jerusalem, February, 1948; a car bomb explosion on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, February 1948 (this terrorist attack, planned by Al-Husseini, caused the demolition of three buildings on Ben Yehuda Street and the death of 58 people); additional photographs. Many of the photographs are dated in handwriting on the reverse.
Total of forty-three photographs, thirty-two of which depict various aspect of Arab gangs (in training, leaders, and significant events), all taken from an Arab perspective, and eleven photographs showing the training of “Haganah” forces.
The collection includes also dozens of family and group photographs, newspaper excerpts, articles on Netach and personal letters from various periods, including many letters he received from various Knesset members, ministers and public figures to whom he had sent a copy of his book “Israel Netach – Israeli Patriot” (Ramat Gan, 2005). These items include a handwritten letter from David Ben Gurion, photographs with Golda Meir, and more. The documents teach us also that Netach was a talented cyclist in the HaPo’el sports organization.
From the articles and letters included in this lot it is apparent that for many years Netach kept his story secret, for fear of the life of his father, who continued to reside in Syria. After his father immigrated to Israel, Netach made his story public, via family members, in the press, and to his many clients, customers of his falafel stand in Jaffa.
Size: 8X6.5 cm. to 10X7.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Most are torn, creased and stained. Remnants of glue and black cardboard on the reverse (evidence of the photographs having been removed from an album).
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Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $10,000
Sold for: $19,375
Including buyer's premium
A sheet of paper bearing the signatures of ninety of the members of the First Knesset, and the Chief Rabbis, signed on the occasion of the first session of the Knesset in the National Institutes Building, Jerusalem, February 14, 1949.
On Tu Bishvat, February 14, 1949, at 4:00pm, the Constituent Assembly held a festive assembly during which the "Transition Law" was adopted. This law stated that the Constituent Assembly would serve as the First Knesset of the State of Israel. The ceremony opened with the lighting of candles in memory of the Holocaust victims and the casualties of the War of Independence. The session was headed by Chaim Weizmann and attended by the IDF Chief of Staff, IDF Generals, the Chief Rabbis, judges and other dignitaries. Joseph Sprintzak was appointed Chairman of the Knesset after which the members swore allegiance. The headline of the Davar daily announced, "The first session of the Constituent Assembly opens today – people from all over the country are gathering in Jerusalem. The City of David is celebrating the historic event." In honor of the event, the poet Nathan Alterman published his poem "Im Knesset Rishona" in his column HaTur HaShvi'i.
The document presented here is a unique item, being an independent and original initiative: Prior to the session, two young men appeared at the entrance to the hall with a sheet of paper resembling the Declaration of Independence. The handwritten text at the top of the document read, "On Monday, Tu Bishvat, five thousand seven hundred and nine years to the creation of the universe, at 4pm, the members of the Constituent Assembly gathered in the National Institutes Hall in Jerusalem, the capital of eternal Israel, to lay the foundations of justice, law and peace for the State of Israel till the end of eternity. Herewith are their signatures." Full of excitement and in recognition of the moment's significance, the members of the Constituent Assembly stood in line to sign the "Scroll." When the session opened, the Knesset members had to enter the hall; by then ninety of them had signed their names to the document, in four columns.
Amongst the signatories: Yitzchak Ben-Zvi, David Ben-Gurion, Menachem Begin (with a greeting, "BeVirkat Achim"), Zerach Warhaftig, Joseph Sprintzak, Meir Vilner, Ben-Zion Dinaburg [Dinur], Uri Zvi Greenberg, Nathan Friedman-Yelin [Yelin-Mor], Dov Joseph, Zalman Aharonowitz [Aran], Ada Fishman [Mimon], Akiva Globman [Govrin], Aryeh Baheer, Pinchas Lubianiker [Lavon], Dr. Yochanan Bader, Shraga Goren (Gorochovsky), Zvi Yehudah [Zaltsman], Eliezer Liebenstein [Livneh], Heschel Frumkin, Hasia Drori, David HaCohen, Felix Rosenblitt [Pinchas Rosen], Shmuel Mikunis, Shmuel Dayan, Shoshana Persitz, Avraham Herzfeld, and many others (some signed twice). Many of the Knesset members signed their original, "pre-Hebraized" names (ie prior to their altering their original surnames to Hebrew ones). Several signatures are in Arabic.
At the borders of the leaf, upside down, appear the signatures of the Sephardic and the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbis, Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel and Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Halevy Herzog, as well as the signatures of Rabbi Reuven Katz (rabbi of Petach-Tikva), Rabbi Isser Yehudah Untermann, Rabbi Ya'akov Moshe Toledano and Rabbi Ya'akov Henich [Hanoch] Sankevitch.
Included is a sheet of paper identical in size, which served as a draft, on which the above-mentioned text appears. This draft was signed by Menachem Begin – who added the dedication "BeVirkat Achim on this holiday, Tu Bishvat" – and Uri Zvi Greenberg.
75.5X27.5 cm. Good condition. Folded into two. Several stains, tears at borders.
To the best of our knowledge, this is a unique item and no similar item has ever been offered at auction.
On Tu Bishvat, February 14, 1949, at 4:00pm, the Constituent Assembly held a festive assembly during which the "Transition Law" was adopted. This law stated that the Constituent Assembly would serve as the First Knesset of the State of Israel. The ceremony opened with the lighting of candles in memory of the Holocaust victims and the casualties of the War of Independence. The session was headed by Chaim Weizmann and attended by the IDF Chief of Staff, IDF Generals, the Chief Rabbis, judges and other dignitaries. Joseph Sprintzak was appointed Chairman of the Knesset after which the members swore allegiance. The headline of the Davar daily announced, "The first session of the Constituent Assembly opens today – people from all over the country are gathering in Jerusalem. The City of David is celebrating the historic event." In honor of the event, the poet Nathan Alterman published his poem "Im Knesset Rishona" in his column HaTur HaShvi'i.
The document presented here is a unique item, being an independent and original initiative: Prior to the session, two young men appeared at the entrance to the hall with a sheet of paper resembling the Declaration of Independence. The handwritten text at the top of the document read, "On Monday, Tu Bishvat, five thousand seven hundred and nine years to the creation of the universe, at 4pm, the members of the Constituent Assembly gathered in the National Institutes Hall in Jerusalem, the capital of eternal Israel, to lay the foundations of justice, law and peace for the State of Israel till the end of eternity. Herewith are their signatures." Full of excitement and in recognition of the moment's significance, the members of the Constituent Assembly stood in line to sign the "Scroll." When the session opened, the Knesset members had to enter the hall; by then ninety of them had signed their names to the document, in four columns.
Amongst the signatories: Yitzchak Ben-Zvi, David Ben-Gurion, Menachem Begin (with a greeting, "BeVirkat Achim"), Zerach Warhaftig, Joseph Sprintzak, Meir Vilner, Ben-Zion Dinaburg [Dinur], Uri Zvi Greenberg, Nathan Friedman-Yelin [Yelin-Mor], Dov Joseph, Zalman Aharonowitz [Aran], Ada Fishman [Mimon], Akiva Globman [Govrin], Aryeh Baheer, Pinchas Lubianiker [Lavon], Dr. Yochanan Bader, Shraga Goren (Gorochovsky), Zvi Yehudah [Zaltsman], Eliezer Liebenstein [Livneh], Heschel Frumkin, Hasia Drori, David HaCohen, Felix Rosenblitt [Pinchas Rosen], Shmuel Mikunis, Shmuel Dayan, Shoshana Persitz, Avraham Herzfeld, and many others (some signed twice). Many of the Knesset members signed their original, "pre-Hebraized" names (ie prior to their altering their original surnames to Hebrew ones). Several signatures are in Arabic.
At the borders of the leaf, upside down, appear the signatures of the Sephardic and the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbis, Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel and Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Halevy Herzog, as well as the signatures of Rabbi Reuven Katz (rabbi of Petach-Tikva), Rabbi Isser Yehudah Untermann, Rabbi Ya'akov Moshe Toledano and Rabbi Ya'akov Henich [Hanoch] Sankevitch.
Included is a sheet of paper identical in size, which served as a draft, on which the above-mentioned text appears. This draft was signed by Menachem Begin – who added the dedication "BeVirkat Achim on this holiday, Tu Bishvat" – and Uri Zvi Greenberg.
75.5X27.5 cm. Good condition. Folded into two. Several stains, tears at borders.
To the best of our knowledge, this is a unique item and no similar item has ever been offered at auction.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $8,000
Sold for: $13,750
Including buyer's premium
Calendar, manuscript on paper, with illustrations in color. Ancona, 1811. Painter: Iacob Israel Montefiore.
The title page with an illustration of the zodiac opens the calendar. Below the name of each month appear different digits (which appear also on the calendar's leaves) and the number of days in each month. In the center of the zodiac appear the painter's initials: IMF (Israel Montefiore). In the margins is written, "Ancona 1811."
The calendar contains twelve leaves with the Gregorian months of the year. The name of the month is written, in Italian, on the upper part of each leaf, within an illustrated frame. The lower part shows the number of days in each month as well as several digits (the meaning of the latter is unclear; some digits appear more frequently than others, sometimes even more than once on a leaf).
On the last leaf is the emblem of Napoleon Bonaparte, the center of which shows the painter's name: Iacob Israel M,fiori, and a star within which appears the letter "N."
Iacov Israel Montefiore (b. 1748) was a descendant of the Montefiore family who lived in Ancona (the Italian branch of the family of the famous minister Moses Montefiore). The Jews of Ancona lived in a ghetto in appalling conditions until the arrival of Napoleon in 1797 and the subsequent conquest of the city, which led to the demolition of the ghetto walls. For the Jews of Ancona, Napoleon was a redeemer because of his contribution to their emancipation. This resulted in the creation of widespread folk art connected to Napoleon. The last leaf of this calendar represents Iacov Israel Montefiore's part in this phenomenon.
The star seen in the final illustration is not part of Napoleon's official emblem but it is meant to symbolize "Napoleon's Star." In 1811, a huge comet that appeared in the skies above Europe' was observed for 260 days. This unusual occurrence was reflected in different areas of art, literature and science of the period, and astronomers in Europe conducted numerous calculations related to the comet. [Perhaps the unknown digits in this calendar are related to this.]. Napoleon was at his prime in that year and this is the reason the comet was named "Napoleon's Star." In this manner, Napoleon's success was associated with the heavens. This rare item is possibly connected to the comet event and maybe it shows Montefiore's calculations regarding "Napoleon's Star." However according to a professional opinion, Montefiore's time calculations are neither accurate nor scientific, and therefore it is possible that the digits are some kind of code.
[14] leaves, 9 cm. Good condition, with some staining. Original binding, somewhat worn.
The title page with an illustration of the zodiac opens the calendar. Below the name of each month appear different digits (which appear also on the calendar's leaves) and the number of days in each month. In the center of the zodiac appear the painter's initials: IMF (Israel Montefiore). In the margins is written, "Ancona 1811."
The calendar contains twelve leaves with the Gregorian months of the year. The name of the month is written, in Italian, on the upper part of each leaf, within an illustrated frame. The lower part shows the number of days in each month as well as several digits (the meaning of the latter is unclear; some digits appear more frequently than others, sometimes even more than once on a leaf).
On the last leaf is the emblem of Napoleon Bonaparte, the center of which shows the painter's name: Iacob Israel M,fiori, and a star within which appears the letter "N."
Iacov Israel Montefiore (b. 1748) was a descendant of the Montefiore family who lived in Ancona (the Italian branch of the family of the famous minister Moses Montefiore). The Jews of Ancona lived in a ghetto in appalling conditions until the arrival of Napoleon in 1797 and the subsequent conquest of the city, which led to the demolition of the ghetto walls. For the Jews of Ancona, Napoleon was a redeemer because of his contribution to their emancipation. This resulted in the creation of widespread folk art connected to Napoleon. The last leaf of this calendar represents Iacov Israel Montefiore's part in this phenomenon.
The star seen in the final illustration is not part of Napoleon's official emblem but it is meant to symbolize "Napoleon's Star." In 1811, a huge comet that appeared in the skies above Europe' was observed for 260 days. This unusual occurrence was reflected in different areas of art, literature and science of the period, and astronomers in Europe conducted numerous calculations related to the comet. [Perhaps the unknown digits in this calendar are related to this.]. Napoleon was at his prime in that year and this is the reason the comet was named "Napoleon's Star." In this manner, Napoleon's success was associated with the heavens. This rare item is possibly connected to the comet event and maybe it shows Montefiore's calculations regarding "Napoleon's Star." However according to a professional opinion, Montefiore's time calculations are neither accurate nor scientific, and therefore it is possible that the digits are some kind of code.
[14] leaves, 9 cm. Good condition, with some staining. Original binding, somewhat worn.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $10,000
Sold for: $20,000
Including buyer's premium
Large collection of parchment leaves. Includes especially ancient leaves [13th-14th? century].
Leaves from Taj Yemenite books from various periods, some very ancient. Includes pamphlets and passages from various books of the Bible, with upper vowelization. Listings of the Massorah added in the margins of some leaves. * Leaves from a Bible manuscript (sections from the Book of Ecclesiastes and the Book of Proverbs), written in two columns and ornamented with micrography in geometrical patterns. [Spain?]. * Six leaves from a Bible manuscript (sections of the Book of Leviticus and the Book of Numbers), written on two columns. Includes listings of the Massorah in the lower margins. [Spain?]. * Folded leaf of “Machbarot HaTijan” [Yemen], with graphic ornamentation of verses from the Book of Psalms.
Leaves from Taj Yemenite books from various periods, some very ancient. Includes pamphlets and passages from various books of the Bible, with upper vowelization. Listings of the Massorah added in the margins of some leaves. * Leaves from a Bible manuscript (sections from the Book of Ecclesiastes and the Book of Proverbs), written in two columns and ornamented with micrography in geometrical patterns. [Spain?]. * Six leaves from a Bible manuscript (sections of the Book of Leviticus and the Book of Numbers), written on two columns. Includes listings of the Massorah in the lower margins. [Spain?]. * Folded leaf of “Machbarot HaTijan” [Yemen], with graphic ornamentation of verses from the Book of Psalms.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
July 3, 2012
Opening: $35,000
Unsold
Manuscript of a year-round Seder Tefilah. [Italy], [14th-15th century].
Brown ink on thin parchment leaves (made of embryo leather), Italian-Ashkenazi script in medium writing, with vowelization.
Includes prayers for weekdays and for Shabbat, according to the custom of Rome, with "Seder Hatavat Chalom," "Kidush Levanah," etc. Following these prayers appear additional sections related to the main prayers, and the "Amidah" prayers of all the other holidays: "Rosh Chodesh," the three pilgrimage festivals, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, Hanukkah and Purim. Includes numerous important liturgies: "Kedushah LeRosh HaShanah" ("Unetana Tokef"), "Mi Kamocha" for Shabbat Zechor ("Adon Hasdecha" by Rabbi Yehuda HaLevy), "Reshut LeShabbat HaGadol," Hosha'anot, etc. A version of "Kol Nedarim" was added to the Yom Kippur prayer.
A remarkable manuscript in artistic-calligraphic script typical of the period, with instructions in miniature letters (not vowelized). Enlarged opening words, some decorated with floral and vegetal motifs, others encircled by decorated frames. More decorations appear at the end of some of the chapters. Above the word "Keter" in "Kedoshah" of the Shabbat prayer is an illustration of a crown. Most of the pages consist of 18-19 lines. "Shirat HaYam" is written in the form of "tile over brick," some sections (eg the Hosha'anot liturgies) are written in two columns. The "VeTodi'aynu" prayer is scripted in particularly large letters, for an unknown reason.
The "Aleynu LeShabe'ach" prayer contains the sentence, "For they worship vanity and emptiness, and pray to a god who cannot save," which implies that this manuscript was not censored. No other version alterations have been examined.
A number of leaves are lacking at the beginning of the manuscript and thus it starts with the section "LeOlam yihiye adam yehreh shamayim" that precedes the "Shacharit" prayer.
Bound in an antique parchment binding.
[88] parchment leaves. 13-14 cm. Varying condition of the leaves, mostly good-fair. Stains and wear, blurred ink, tears to some leaves.
Brown ink on thin parchment leaves (made of embryo leather), Italian-Ashkenazi script in medium writing, with vowelization.
Includes prayers for weekdays and for Shabbat, according to the custom of Rome, with "Seder Hatavat Chalom," "Kidush Levanah," etc. Following these prayers appear additional sections related to the main prayers, and the "Amidah" prayers of all the other holidays: "Rosh Chodesh," the three pilgrimage festivals, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, Hanukkah and Purim. Includes numerous important liturgies: "Kedushah LeRosh HaShanah" ("Unetana Tokef"), "Mi Kamocha" for Shabbat Zechor ("Adon Hasdecha" by Rabbi Yehuda HaLevy), "Reshut LeShabbat HaGadol," Hosha'anot, etc. A version of "Kol Nedarim" was added to the Yom Kippur prayer.
A remarkable manuscript in artistic-calligraphic script typical of the period, with instructions in miniature letters (not vowelized). Enlarged opening words, some decorated with floral and vegetal motifs, others encircled by decorated frames. More decorations appear at the end of some of the chapters. Above the word "Keter" in "Kedoshah" of the Shabbat prayer is an illustration of a crown. Most of the pages consist of 18-19 lines. "Shirat HaYam" is written in the form of "tile over brick," some sections (eg the Hosha'anot liturgies) are written in two columns. The "VeTodi'aynu" prayer is scripted in particularly large letters, for an unknown reason.
The "Aleynu LeShabe'ach" prayer contains the sentence, "For they worship vanity and emptiness, and pray to a god who cannot save," which implies that this manuscript was not censored. No other version alterations have been examined.
A number of leaves are lacking at the beginning of the manuscript and thus it starts with the section "LeOlam yihiye adam yehreh shamayim" that precedes the "Shacharit" prayer.
Bound in an antique parchment binding.
[88] parchment leaves. 13-14 cm. Varying condition of the leaves, mostly good-fair. Stains and wear, blurred ink, tears to some leaves.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue