Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8
Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $3,000
Estimate: $5,000 - $7,000
Sold for: $3,750
Including buyer's premium
Decorated ketubah documenting the marriage of the groom David Henriques, with the bride Yochevet[!] daughter of the wealthy David Levi Hasdai. The Hague, The Netherlands, June 2, 1767.
Spanish-Dutch parchment ketubah, set in an ornamental copper engraved border: In the right and left margins are two vases containing large bouquets, on which various birds and animals are perched. These are topped by images of a bride and groom in contemporary attire (on the right) and a mother with two children (on the left; an allegory of Caritas [charity]). The text was scribed between two rounded pillars entwined with branches, crowned with an arch. On both sides of the arch are two Cherubs holding a drapery bearing the inscription "B'Siman Tov". At the bottom of the engraving is a large Rococo cartouche in which the Tena'im were written. The text of the ketubah and Tena'im were handwritten in Sephardic script.
The engraving was produced in Amsterdam. The inspiration for this engraving was the design of two Dutch ketubot created in 1648 and in 1654 by the artist and engraver Shalom Mordechai Italia. Shalom Italia, who arrived in Holland from Mantua, was also known for creating two Scrolls of Esther and portraits of Jacob Judah Leon Templo and of Menasseh ben Israel.
The ornamentation of this ketubah and the inscription printed at the bottom vary slightly from those appearing on other ketubot of this type (compare to Kedem Auction 61, item 96): the attire of the bride and groom which appear in the upper right corner were updated, reflecting fashion changes. A medallion with the image of a phoenix was added to the bottom of the cartouche and the inscription referring to R. Yitzchak Aboab was replaced with the inscription: "Pertenece ao K. K. de T. T. de Amsterdam Roshodes Kislef A° 5499 D = M" – "Belongs to the Amsterdam Talmud Torah community, Rosh Chodesh Kislev [November] 1738". About one hundred years previously, in 1639, the three Jewish congregations in Amsterdam of Sephardi and Portuguese origin, Beit Yaakov, Neveh Shalom and Beit Yisrael merged into one congregation named Talmud Torah. According to Prof. Shalom Sabar, the changes to this ketubah were made on the occasion of the centennial of the Talmud Torah congregation.
The signatures of the witnesses were affixed beneath the text of the ketubah: "Shlomo Saruk" (Hebrew) and "David J. Manuel Lopez de Almeyda" (in Latin characters), with the signature of the groom "David Henriques". These signatures appear again at the end of the Tena'im in the lower cartouche.
R. Shlomo Saruk, whose signature appears twice on the present ketubah, was the rabbi of the Sephardi community in The Hague in 1789-1852.
41X33 cm. Stains (change in color to initial word, presumably due to abrasion prior to writing). Creases. Large tear to left side of ketubah. Partially mounted on card.
Literature:
1. Ketubbah: Jewish marriage contracts of the Hebrew Union College Skirball Museum and Klau Library, by Shalom Sabar (NY, 1990), pp. 265-270; item 171.
2. The Oeuvre of the Jewish Engraver Salom Italia, by Mordechai Narkis, in: Tarbitz, Vol. 25, Issue 4, Tammuz 1956, pp. 441-451; Vol. 26, Issue 1, Tishrei 1956, pp. 87-101.
3. HaKetubah B'Iturim, by David Davidowitz. Tel Aviv: A. Levine-Epstein, 1979, pp. 21-24.
Spanish-Dutch parchment ketubah, set in an ornamental copper engraved border: In the right and left margins are two vases containing large bouquets, on which various birds and animals are perched. These are topped by images of a bride and groom in contemporary attire (on the right) and a mother with two children (on the left; an allegory of Caritas [charity]). The text was scribed between two rounded pillars entwined with branches, crowned with an arch. On both sides of the arch are two Cherubs holding a drapery bearing the inscription "B'Siman Tov". At the bottom of the engraving is a large Rococo cartouche in which the Tena'im were written. The text of the ketubah and Tena'im were handwritten in Sephardic script.
The engraving was produced in Amsterdam. The inspiration for this engraving was the design of two Dutch ketubot created in 1648 and in 1654 by the artist and engraver Shalom Mordechai Italia. Shalom Italia, who arrived in Holland from Mantua, was also known for creating two Scrolls of Esther and portraits of Jacob Judah Leon Templo and of Menasseh ben Israel.
The ornamentation of this ketubah and the inscription printed at the bottom vary slightly from those appearing on other ketubot of this type (compare to Kedem Auction 61, item 96): the attire of the bride and groom which appear in the upper right corner were updated, reflecting fashion changes. A medallion with the image of a phoenix was added to the bottom of the cartouche and the inscription referring to R. Yitzchak Aboab was replaced with the inscription: "Pertenece ao K. K. de T. T. de Amsterdam Roshodes Kislef A° 5499 D = M" – "Belongs to the Amsterdam Talmud Torah community, Rosh Chodesh Kislev [November] 1738". About one hundred years previously, in 1639, the three Jewish congregations in Amsterdam of Sephardi and Portuguese origin, Beit Yaakov, Neveh Shalom and Beit Yisrael merged into one congregation named Talmud Torah. According to Prof. Shalom Sabar, the changes to this ketubah were made on the occasion of the centennial of the Talmud Torah congregation.
The signatures of the witnesses were affixed beneath the text of the ketubah: "Shlomo Saruk" (Hebrew) and "David J. Manuel Lopez de Almeyda" (in Latin characters), with the signature of the groom "David Henriques". These signatures appear again at the end of the Tena'im in the lower cartouche.
R. Shlomo Saruk, whose signature appears twice on the present ketubah, was the rabbi of the Sephardi community in The Hague in 1789-1852.
41X33 cm. Stains (change in color to initial word, presumably due to abrasion prior to writing). Creases. Large tear to left side of ketubah. Partially mounted on card.
Literature:
1. Ketubbah: Jewish marriage contracts of the Hebrew Union College Skirball Museum and Klau Library, by Shalom Sabar (NY, 1990), pp. 265-270; item 171.
2. The Oeuvre of the Jewish Engraver Salom Italia, by Mordechai Narkis, in: Tarbitz, Vol. 25, Issue 4, Tammuz 1956, pp. 441-451; Vol. 26, Issue 1, Tishrei 1956, pp. 87-101.
3. HaKetubah B'Iturim, by David Davidowitz. Tel Aviv: A. Levine-Epstein, 1979, pp. 21-24.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art
Catalogue
Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $5,500
Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000
Unsold
Torah scroll. [The Balkans, ca. second half of the 16th century].
Torah scroll on light-brown gevil (using the method of tanning widespread in the Balkans). Early Sephardic script (blended style, with Balkan and Italian influences), 48 lines per column. The style of writing is similar to that of 15th century Sephardic script, and is generally consistent with the influence of the Spanish exiles on the Mediterranean area in the 16th century. The lines were scored on verso (resulting in raised lines on the side of the writing). The scroll contains several variations in comparison to the accepted Masorah (see below).
It appears that the scroll was written in the Balkans in the 16th century, under the mixed influence of local and Sephardi customs. Presumably, the scroll originates from the Romaniote community of Greece and Turkey, which integrated with the community of Spanish immigrants over the years.
The present Torah scroll contains variations in comparison to the accepted tradition – see two examples below (for more detail, see enclosed expert report).
1. There is an early custom in Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities of starting specific columns in the scroll with a word beginning with the letters Bet-Yud-Heh Shin-Mem-Vav. According to the Sephardic custom, the word Yehuda is used to begin the column opening with Yud, while in Oriental sources, the word Yissachar is used instead of Yehuda. In the present scroll, the column begins with the word Yaakov, a custom which is not known from any other source.
2. There is an early halachic debate as to whether the song of Haazinu should be written in seventy or sixty-seven lines, yet from the first half of the 17th century, it was determined that the seventy-line format should be adopted. Here, the song of Haazinu is divided into sixty-seven lines – in accordance with the earlier custom.
Height of the gevil membranes: approx. 56 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Tears, creases and wear. Holes in several places. Ink faded and erased, with later corrections. In various places the original script was scraped off and replaced by a later scribe.
Report by an expert on early Torah scrolls enclosed, regarding the location and date of writing.
Torah scroll on light-brown gevil (using the method of tanning widespread in the Balkans). Early Sephardic script (blended style, with Balkan and Italian influences), 48 lines per column. The style of writing is similar to that of 15th century Sephardic script, and is generally consistent with the influence of the Spanish exiles on the Mediterranean area in the 16th century. The lines were scored on verso (resulting in raised lines on the side of the writing). The scroll contains several variations in comparison to the accepted Masorah (see below).
It appears that the scroll was written in the Balkans in the 16th century, under the mixed influence of local and Sephardi customs. Presumably, the scroll originates from the Romaniote community of Greece and Turkey, which integrated with the community of Spanish immigrants over the years.
The present Torah scroll contains variations in comparison to the accepted tradition – see two examples below (for more detail, see enclosed expert report).
1. There is an early custom in Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities of starting specific columns in the scroll with a word beginning with the letters Bet-Yud-Heh Shin-Mem-Vav. According to the Sephardic custom, the word Yehuda is used to begin the column opening with Yud, while in Oriental sources, the word Yissachar is used instead of Yehuda. In the present scroll, the column begins with the word Yaakov, a custom which is not known from any other source.
2. There is an early halachic debate as to whether the song of Haazinu should be written in seventy or sixty-seven lines, yet from the first half of the 17th century, it was determined that the seventy-line format should be adopted. Here, the song of Haazinu is divided into sixty-seven lines – in accordance with the earlier custom.
Height of the gevil membranes: approx. 56 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Tears, creases and wear. Holes in several places. Ink faded and erased, with later corrections. In various places the original script was scraped off and replaced by a later scribe.
Report by an expert on early Torah scrolls enclosed, regarding the location and date of writing.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art
Catalogue
Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $7,500
Estimate: $10,000 - $12,000
Unsold
Early Torah scroll in early Ashkenazic script, with extensive crownlet decoration and unusual and winding letters, including rare appearances of these letters. [16th/17th century]. With later replacement membranes [ca. 17th/18th century].
This scroll contains letters with extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters following the early scribal tradition – including rare crownlet decorations; inversed letters; winding Pe; Chet with vertical lines wide apart and additional decorations; and special decorations on Lamed, Nun and other letters. The scroll was written according to the early Ashkenazic tradition, including in regard to the exact spelling of the words, the spacing between sections, enlarged or reduced letters, letters with an overdot and the way of writing the final lines of the Song of the Sea in Parashat Beshalach. Variations unique to this scroll in the division of the words into three columns in the Song of the Sea.
This scroll was written according to the tradition and custom of early scribes, as detailed in the early book Sefer Tagi. The Rambam quotes this tradition in Hilchot Sefer Torah (chapter 7, law 8): "…and one should be particular with enlarged and reduced letters, letters with an overdot and unusual letters, such as the winding Pe and crooked letters, as transmitted from one scribe to another. And one should be particular about the crownlet decorations and their number, some letters have one crownlet and some have seven…". This style of writing gradually disappeared over the course of the generations, due to lack of uniformity between the different versions of the Masorah, and relying on the responsum of the Rambam who stated that a Torah scroll is not disqualified if lacking the extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters. The tradition of extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters was preserved in some of the Ashkenazic Torah scrolls even in later periods. In recent times, Torah scrolls are no longer scribed with extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters.
This description is based on a detailed report (19 leaves) by a researcher specializing in the field of extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters, who listed the many variations found in this scroll. His examination shows that some of the appearances of extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters are not known from any other sources.
Some conjecture that the scroll was scribed in Poland, but this is unclear. The replacement membranes were written at different times (most were written specifically for this scroll).
Height of the parchment: approx. 65 cm. Maximum height, including rollers: approx. 100 cm. 72 membranes, 215 columns. Including 53 original membranes, and 19 membranes replaced at different times. Ink faded, with early ink restoration following the original script.
This scroll contains letters with extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters following the early scribal tradition – including rare crownlet decorations; inversed letters; winding Pe; Chet with vertical lines wide apart and additional decorations; and special decorations on Lamed, Nun and other letters. The scroll was written according to the early Ashkenazic tradition, including in regard to the exact spelling of the words, the spacing between sections, enlarged or reduced letters, letters with an overdot and the way of writing the final lines of the Song of the Sea in Parashat Beshalach. Variations unique to this scroll in the division of the words into three columns in the Song of the Sea.
This scroll was written according to the tradition and custom of early scribes, as detailed in the early book Sefer Tagi. The Rambam quotes this tradition in Hilchot Sefer Torah (chapter 7, law 8): "…and one should be particular with enlarged and reduced letters, letters with an overdot and unusual letters, such as the winding Pe and crooked letters, as transmitted from one scribe to another. And one should be particular about the crownlet decorations and their number, some letters have one crownlet and some have seven…". This style of writing gradually disappeared over the course of the generations, due to lack of uniformity between the different versions of the Masorah, and relying on the responsum of the Rambam who stated that a Torah scroll is not disqualified if lacking the extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters. The tradition of extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters was preserved in some of the Ashkenazic Torah scrolls even in later periods. In recent times, Torah scrolls are no longer scribed with extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters.
This description is based on a detailed report (19 leaves) by a researcher specializing in the field of extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters, who listed the many variations found in this scroll. His examination shows that some of the appearances of extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters are not known from any other sources.
Some conjecture that the scroll was scribed in Poland, but this is unclear. The replacement membranes were written at different times (most were written specifically for this scroll).
Height of the parchment: approx. 65 cm. Maximum height, including rollers: approx. 100 cm. 72 membranes, 215 columns. Including 53 original membranes, and 19 membranes replaced at different times. Ink faded, with early ink restoration following the original script.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art
Catalogue
Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $3,000 - $4,000
Sold for: $2,500
Including buyer's premium
Embroidered Torah binder (also known as "mapah" or "fascia"). Italy (Venice?), 1730/31.
Red linen; unbleached linen lining; green silk thread.
Red linen Torah binder. Dedicatory inscription, stretching the length of the binder, embroidered in green silk thread: " Handiwork of the maiden […] Laura daughter of […] Abraham Treves […], Year 5491 [1730-31]…" This inscription is encircled with patterns of flower buds, leaves, and flowers, all similarly embroidered in green.
Binders of this kind – made from one long piece of linen cloth and with an embroidered dedicatory inscription stretching almost its entire length – belong to one of four common types of Torah binders originating in Italy. More specifically, it represents a sub-group of binders which have many features in common. Bracha Yaniv ("Ma'aseh Rokem, " see below) addressed this subject as follows: "Among the binders… embroidered in the 18th century, the style of lettering characteristic of the printed 'Venice Haggadah' [of 1609] is standard. Letters such as these also characterize the group of binders embroidered in Venice by young girls, some of them employing colored linen […] It appears that the young embroiderers who embroidered these binders in the years 1725-61 were all guided by the same hand" (p. 86).
The vast majority of textile Torah accessories from Italy in our possession today bear embroidered inscriptions giving the names of the women who fashioned them and dedicated them to the synagogue. In the prayer rite of the Jewish community of Rome, there is even a special "Mi SheBerakh" ("He who has blessed…") prayer incorporated into the Sabbath Morning Service, dedicated specifically to those women who labored to produce textile accessories for Torah scrolls: "He who has blessed Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, He shall bless every Daughter of Israel who produces a mantle or binder for the benefit of the Torah …". Such a prayer clearly demonstrates just how much importance was attached to the sacred objects created by these women. Thanks to humanist trends in Italy during the Renaissance and Post-Renaissance periods, Jewish women enjoyed enviable status, especially among the higher social classes. Historical documents point to individual Jewish women renowned in their time as authors, poets, artists, and merchants. And with specific regard to the subject at hand, many women played active roles in managing family textile businesses, distinguishing themselves as experts in the art of sewing and embroidery
The Treves family boasted a particularly noteworthy pedigree. As early as the 14th century, its members had established themselves in almost every corner of the Jewish world – in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Turkey, and Palestine. Through the generations, the family produced no shortage of acclaimed rabbis, scholars, community leaders and generally influential personalities. The family name evolved over the years, assuming a variety of different versions and spellings, such as Triefus, Trefousse, Trèves, Treviess, Dreyfus, Triverzan, Tribas, and a host of other incarnations. Italy was home to an especially prominent branch of the family, with members serving as rabbis, rabbinical judges, and public figures in a number of important Italian Jewish communities.
Approx. 22X340 cm. Good condition. Losses to embroidery. Blemishes, minor open tears, and stains to lining. Possibly missing ribbon.
For a similar binder, see Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, "The Loom and the Cloth: An Exhibition of the Fabrics of Jewish Life." New York: The Jewish Museum, 1977, Item No. 21.
Reference: Bracha Yaniv, "Ma’aseh Rokem [Sacred Textile Objects in the Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Italian Synagogue]." Jerusalem: Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi, 2009 (Hebrew), p. 86.
Provenance: Finkelstein family collection.
Red linen; unbleached linen lining; green silk thread.
Red linen Torah binder. Dedicatory inscription, stretching the length of the binder, embroidered in green silk thread: " Handiwork of the maiden […] Laura daughter of […] Abraham Treves […], Year 5491 [1730-31]…" This inscription is encircled with patterns of flower buds, leaves, and flowers, all similarly embroidered in green.
Binders of this kind – made from one long piece of linen cloth and with an embroidered dedicatory inscription stretching almost its entire length – belong to one of four common types of Torah binders originating in Italy. More specifically, it represents a sub-group of binders which have many features in common. Bracha Yaniv ("Ma'aseh Rokem, " see below) addressed this subject as follows: "Among the binders… embroidered in the 18th century, the style of lettering characteristic of the printed 'Venice Haggadah' [of 1609] is standard. Letters such as these also characterize the group of binders embroidered in Venice by young girls, some of them employing colored linen […] It appears that the young embroiderers who embroidered these binders in the years 1725-61 were all guided by the same hand" (p. 86).
The vast majority of textile Torah accessories from Italy in our possession today bear embroidered inscriptions giving the names of the women who fashioned them and dedicated them to the synagogue. In the prayer rite of the Jewish community of Rome, there is even a special "Mi SheBerakh" ("He who has blessed…") prayer incorporated into the Sabbath Morning Service, dedicated specifically to those women who labored to produce textile accessories for Torah scrolls: "He who has blessed Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, He shall bless every Daughter of Israel who produces a mantle or binder for the benefit of the Torah …". Such a prayer clearly demonstrates just how much importance was attached to the sacred objects created by these women. Thanks to humanist trends in Italy during the Renaissance and Post-Renaissance periods, Jewish women enjoyed enviable status, especially among the higher social classes. Historical documents point to individual Jewish women renowned in their time as authors, poets, artists, and merchants. And with specific regard to the subject at hand, many women played active roles in managing family textile businesses, distinguishing themselves as experts in the art of sewing and embroidery
The Treves family boasted a particularly noteworthy pedigree. As early as the 14th century, its members had established themselves in almost every corner of the Jewish world – in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Turkey, and Palestine. Through the generations, the family produced no shortage of acclaimed rabbis, scholars, community leaders and generally influential personalities. The family name evolved over the years, assuming a variety of different versions and spellings, such as Triefus, Trefousse, Trèves, Treviess, Dreyfus, Triverzan, Tribas, and a host of other incarnations. Italy was home to an especially prominent branch of the family, with members serving as rabbis, rabbinical judges, and public figures in a number of important Italian Jewish communities.
Approx. 22X340 cm. Good condition. Losses to embroidery. Blemishes, minor open tears, and stains to lining. Possibly missing ribbon.
For a similar binder, see Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, "The Loom and the Cloth: An Exhibition of the Fabrics of Jewish Life." New York: The Jewish Museum, 1977, Item No. 21.
Reference: Bracha Yaniv, "Ma’aseh Rokem [Sacred Textile Objects in the Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Italian Synagogue]." Jerusalem: Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi, 2009 (Hebrew), p. 86.
Provenance: Finkelstein family collection.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art
Catalogue
Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $5,000
Estimate: $8,000 - $10,000
Unsold
Passover kiddush cup. Germany, dedicatory inscription dated 5514 [1754].
Silver (marked, maker unknown, Austro-Hungarian import mark); repoussé and engraved; gilt.
Octagonal bowl, engraved with intricate vegetal patterns and with the verse "Keep the month of spring, and make the Passover offering to the Lord" (Deuteronomy 16:1), dated 5514 (1754). Footed, with wide base.
Height: 13.5 cm. Diameter: 6.5 cm. Loss to gilding.
Provenance: Finkelstein family collection.
Silver (marked, maker unknown, Austro-Hungarian import mark); repoussé and engraved; gilt.
Octagonal bowl, engraved with intricate vegetal patterns and with the verse "Keep the month of spring, and make the Passover offering to the Lord" (Deuteronomy 16:1), dated 5514 (1754). Footed, with wide base.
Height: 13.5 cm. Diameter: 6.5 cm. Loss to gilding.
Provenance: Finkelstein family collection.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art
Catalogue
Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $3,000
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
Sold for: $3,750
Including buyer's premium
Hanukkah lamp. Poland, [late 18th century].
Brass; cast, chased and engraved.
Impressive lamp of a popular East-European type which developed in the late 18th century.
Backplate featuring central seven-branched lamp, flanked by olive branches, lions, birds and columns, topped by a double-headed eagle, emblem of Imperial Russia, grasping the imperial scepter and orb. Lattice side panels, supporting two lights with the double purpose of servant light (during Hanukkah) and Shabbat lights (during the rest of the year). Row of oil pans, fitted with lid, set behind a stylized grille. Raised on four legs.
Height: 28 cm. Width: 30 cm. Depth: 19 cm.
Provenance: Finkelstein family collection.
Brass; cast, chased and engraved.
Impressive lamp of a popular East-European type which developed in the late 18th century.
Backplate featuring central seven-branched lamp, flanked by olive branches, lions, birds and columns, topped by a double-headed eagle, emblem of Imperial Russia, grasping the imperial scepter and orb. Lattice side panels, supporting two lights with the double purpose of servant light (during Hanukkah) and Shabbat lights (during the rest of the year). Row of oil pans, fitted with lid, set behind a stylized grille. Raised on four legs.
Height: 28 cm. Width: 30 cm. Depth: 19 cm.
Provenance: Finkelstein family collection.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art
Catalogue
Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $3,000 - $4,000
Unsold
Enbossed Hanukkah lamp, with side panels. The Netherlands, [19th century].
Sheet brass, repoussé, punched, pierced and bent; brass, cast; rivets.
Wall lamp. Backplate with two large bosses – one round, the other drop-shaped, dotted patterns, stars and openwork. With hang hole. Side panels of matching design. Cast row of pinched oil fonts, applied to backplate; servant light applied to backplate at top left. Large drip pan, also with pinched corners.
Height: 30 cm. Width: 30 cm. Minor damage. Some corrosion. Old nail repairs.
Provenance: Finkelstein family collection.
Sheet brass, repoussé, punched, pierced and bent; brass, cast; rivets.
Wall lamp. Backplate with two large bosses – one round, the other drop-shaped, dotted patterns, stars and openwork. With hang hole. Side panels of matching design. Cast row of pinched oil fonts, applied to backplate; servant light applied to backplate at top left. Large drip pan, also with pinched corners.
Height: 30 cm. Width: 30 cm. Minor damage. Some corrosion. Old nail repairs.
Provenance: Finkelstein family collection.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art
Catalogue
Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $1,800
Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Sold for: $2,375
Including buyer's premium
Six ceramic tiles with Hebrew inscriptions. [Fes? Morocco, second half of 19th century].
Clay tiles, painted in blue and glazed.
Set of six tiles for suspension in two rows (one above the other) on the outer wall of the house, with the blessing "Baruch Ata Bevo'echa UVaruch Ata Betzetecha" (You shall be blessed when you come, and you shall be blessed when you depart). In addition to the text, the tiles are decorated with pointed arches and fine vegetal patterns covering the entire surface.
"Fes was the most important center for clay vessels in Morocco. Most items were functional, intended for daily use, in particular kitchen utensils. However, apart for these, large quantities of tiles were produced in Fes and were used as architectural decoration. Most items were decorated with paint and then glazed… In the years 1853-1881 blue was the dominating color..." (Hebrew). (Pottery from Morocco 19th-20th century C.E, by Rachel Hasson. Published by the Museum for Islamic Art, Jerusalem, 1982, p. 4).
Approx. 9.5X9.5 cm. Good condition. Damage and breaks, primarily to edges. Losses to glazing and paint.
Clay tiles, painted in blue and glazed.
Set of six tiles for suspension in two rows (one above the other) on the outer wall of the house, with the blessing "Baruch Ata Bevo'echa UVaruch Ata Betzetecha" (You shall be blessed when you come, and you shall be blessed when you depart). In addition to the text, the tiles are decorated with pointed arches and fine vegetal patterns covering the entire surface.
"Fes was the most important center for clay vessels in Morocco. Most items were functional, intended for daily use, in particular kitchen utensils. However, apart for these, large quantities of tiles were produced in Fes and were used as architectural decoration. Most items were decorated with paint and then glazed… In the years 1853-1881 blue was the dominating color..." (Hebrew). (Pottery from Morocco 19th-20th century C.E, by Rachel Hasson. Published by the Museum for Islamic Art, Jerusalem, 1982, p. 4).
Approx. 9.5X9.5 cm. Good condition. Damage and breaks, primarily to edges. Losses to glazing and paint.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art
Catalogue