Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $3,000
Estimate: $5,000 - $8,000
Sold for: $8,750
Including buyer's premium
Official document dating from the earliest beginnings of the Jewish community of Mantua, granting the community's administration permission to establish a kosher slaughterhouse, and detailing the conditions for its maintenance. Written in brown ink on vellum; signed. With large wax seal (broken) of Federico II, Duke of Mantua. Mantua, September 5, 1532. Latin.
Charter bestowed to the Jewish community of Mantua by Duke Federico II of Gonzaga. Grants permission to establish and maintain a separate (kosher) slaughterhouse, with a Jewish ritual slaughterer, and supply the city's Jews with meat, to be slaughtered in accordance with their religious requirements. This manuscript contains important documentation concerning the composition of the community's governing bodies during its early years: a six-member Jewish council consisting of three moneylenders and three elected officials (according to the historian Shlomo Simonsohn, these councils were the Jewish community's earliest governing bodies, predating the establishment of more formal committees).
The Jewish community of Mantua gained formal recognition from the authorities in 1511, in a charter issued in the name of Duke Federico II. The present charter was issued some twenty years after the Jewish community was formally recognized, and it is among the earliest extant documents to refer to the community by name.
See: Shlomo Simonsohn, "History of the Jews in the Duchy of Mantua." Tel Aviv and Jerusalem: Tel Aviv University and the Ben-Zvi Institute, 1963-63, Hebrew. pp. 246, 368, and 569-70.
Approx. 33X43.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Fold lines. Small holes and open tears to edges and fold lines (with minor damage to date listing), mostly repaired with paper. Long tear (8.5 cm) to bottom right corner, sewn (contemporary repair; no damage to text). Wax seal deteriorated, with large missing piece. Handwritten notation to back.
Charter bestowed to the Jewish community of Mantua by Duke Federico II of Gonzaga. Grants permission to establish and maintain a separate (kosher) slaughterhouse, with a Jewish ritual slaughterer, and supply the city's Jews with meat, to be slaughtered in accordance with their religious requirements. This manuscript contains important documentation concerning the composition of the community's governing bodies during its early years: a six-member Jewish council consisting of three moneylenders and three elected officials (according to the historian Shlomo Simonsohn, these councils were the Jewish community's earliest governing bodies, predating the establishment of more formal committees).
The Jewish community of Mantua gained formal recognition from the authorities in 1511, in a charter issued in the name of Duke Federico II. The present charter was issued some twenty years after the Jewish community was formally recognized, and it is among the earliest extant documents to refer to the community by name.
See: Shlomo Simonsohn, "History of the Jews in the Duchy of Mantua." Tel Aviv and Jerusalem: Tel Aviv University and the Ben-Zvi Institute, 1963-63, Hebrew. pp. 246, 368, and 569-70.
Approx. 33X43.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Fold lines. Small holes and open tears to edges and fold lines (with minor damage to date listing), mostly repaired with paper. Long tear (8.5 cm) to bottom right corner, sewn (contemporary repair; no damage to text). Wax seal deteriorated, with large missing piece. Handwritten notation to back.
Category
Italian Jewry – Books and Documents
Catalogue
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000
Sold for: $2,750
Including buyer's premium
Discorso circa il stato de gl'hebrei et in particolar dimoranti nell'inclita città di Venetia – "Discourse on the State of the Jews, and in particular those dwelling in the illustrious city of Venice, " by Simone Luzzatto. Venice: Gioanne Calleoni, 1638. First edition. Italian.
First edition of the "Discourse on the state of the Jews of Venice, " the highly influential book written by Simone (Simcha) Luzzatto (1582-1663), published roughly a hundred and fifty years after the Expulsion from Spain (1492) and approximately seventy years after the expulsion of Jews from the Papal States. Luzzatto's book represented an attempt to convince the rulers of Venice that the Jews were bringing prosperity to the Republic of Venice, and did not in any way pose a threat to its Christian character.
The book consists of eighteen short chapters ("considerations"), written in the flowery style characteristic of 17th-century baroque Europe, and presents a comprehensive overview. This is one of the most important of extant testimonies regarding the Jews of Venice in this period of history, dealing with the customs and character of the typical Jewish subject; the Jewish faith and its universalist foundations; the proficiency of Jews in trade and the Jewish contribution to the economic development of large cities; an analysis of the deficiencies of the Jewish character; and, in addition, a detailed account of the dispersion of the Jewish people throughout the lands of the world, from Persia in the east to the Atlantic coast in the west – the first published account of its kind since the time of Benjamin of Tudela (1130-1173 CE). Some of the chapters of the work – whose intended readership is Christian scholars and rulers – include surprisingly unconventional and uniquely curious "defense arguments." For instance, in the fifth consideration ("Of the Deference and Promptness of the Jews in Obeying"), Luzzatto describes – as a positive attribute – the ease with which edicts and taxes can be imposed on the Jew: " The Jews, however, were always willing to obey public commands with swift compliance, for they are dispersed and scattered all over the world and deprived of any source of protection, so that when particular taxes were imposed on them, they never dared to utter or formulate so much as a simple complaint." In the eighteenth chapter, Luzzatto attempts to underline the similarities between Jewish and Catholic views regarding the afterlife: " And even though their authors do not frequently mention the word 'purgatory, ' they divide the fate of the separated soul into three parts: beatitude, finite temporal punishment, and the eternal." In addition, the eleventh chapter – one of the most beautifully written segments of the book – features a lengthy and poetic testimony regarding the character, weaknesses, and strengths of the Jews as a people: " Nonetheless, should someone still wish to investigate the universal habits [they share], one could say that they are a Nation of a fainthearted, cowardly, and half-hearted spirit, incapable in their present situation of any political government... Their errors and offences are almost always more spineless and wretched than atrocious... The internal image of our soul is composed of a mosaic that appears to form a single idea. Upon approaching it, however, one sees that it is made up of various fragments of cheap and precious stones put together."
The English quotes above are taken from Simone Luzzatto, "Discourse on the State of the Jews." Bilingual edition edited, translated, and commented by Giuseppe Veltri and Anna Lissa. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2019. For more information, see Dante Lattes, "Ma'amar al Yehudei Venezia." Jerusalem: Mossad Bialik, 1950. Introductions by Riccardo Benjamin Bachi and Moses Avigdor Shulvass.
92 ff., approx. 20 cm. Includes a listing of errata absent from most other copies. Good condition. Creases and stains. Open tears and worming to several leaves (with damage to text on final leaf), some professionally restored. Handwritten notations and marks to title page and a number of additional leaves. New vellum binding, with ribbon ties and gilt lettering to spine. Bookplate to front inside binding.
First edition of the "Discourse on the state of the Jews of Venice, " the highly influential book written by Simone (Simcha) Luzzatto (1582-1663), published roughly a hundred and fifty years after the Expulsion from Spain (1492) and approximately seventy years after the expulsion of Jews from the Papal States. Luzzatto's book represented an attempt to convince the rulers of Venice that the Jews were bringing prosperity to the Republic of Venice, and did not in any way pose a threat to its Christian character.
The book consists of eighteen short chapters ("considerations"), written in the flowery style characteristic of 17th-century baroque Europe, and presents a comprehensive overview. This is one of the most important of extant testimonies regarding the Jews of Venice in this period of history, dealing with the customs and character of the typical Jewish subject; the Jewish faith and its universalist foundations; the proficiency of Jews in trade and the Jewish contribution to the economic development of large cities; an analysis of the deficiencies of the Jewish character; and, in addition, a detailed account of the dispersion of the Jewish people throughout the lands of the world, from Persia in the east to the Atlantic coast in the west – the first published account of its kind since the time of Benjamin of Tudela (1130-1173 CE). Some of the chapters of the work – whose intended readership is Christian scholars and rulers – include surprisingly unconventional and uniquely curious "defense arguments." For instance, in the fifth consideration ("Of the Deference and Promptness of the Jews in Obeying"), Luzzatto describes – as a positive attribute – the ease with which edicts and taxes can be imposed on the Jew: " The Jews, however, were always willing to obey public commands with swift compliance, for they are dispersed and scattered all over the world and deprived of any source of protection, so that when particular taxes were imposed on them, they never dared to utter or formulate so much as a simple complaint." In the eighteenth chapter, Luzzatto attempts to underline the similarities between Jewish and Catholic views regarding the afterlife: " And even though their authors do not frequently mention the word 'purgatory, ' they divide the fate of the separated soul into three parts: beatitude, finite temporal punishment, and the eternal." In addition, the eleventh chapter – one of the most beautifully written segments of the book – features a lengthy and poetic testimony regarding the character, weaknesses, and strengths of the Jews as a people: " Nonetheless, should someone still wish to investigate the universal habits [they share], one could say that they are a Nation of a fainthearted, cowardly, and half-hearted spirit, incapable in their present situation of any political government... Their errors and offences are almost always more spineless and wretched than atrocious... The internal image of our soul is composed of a mosaic that appears to form a single idea. Upon approaching it, however, one sees that it is made up of various fragments of cheap and precious stones put together."
The English quotes above are taken from Simone Luzzatto, "Discourse on the State of the Jews." Bilingual edition edited, translated, and commented by Giuseppe Veltri and Anna Lissa. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2019. For more information, see Dante Lattes, "Ma'amar al Yehudei Venezia." Jerusalem: Mossad Bialik, 1950. Introductions by Riccardo Benjamin Bachi and Moses Avigdor Shulvass.
92 ff., approx. 20 cm. Includes a listing of errata absent from most other copies. Good condition. Creases and stains. Open tears and worming to several leaves (with damage to text on final leaf), some professionally restored. Handwritten notations and marks to title page and a number of additional leaves. New vellum binding, with ribbon ties and gilt lettering to spine. Bookplate to front inside binding.
Category
Italian Jewry – Books and Documents
Catalogue
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000
Sold for: $1,250
Including buyer's premium
"[...] Capitulaciones del modo que se deve governar la hebra de casar huerfanas y donzellas [...] de nuevo reformadas, y acresentadas este año 5466" ["Regulation governing the form of management of the Dowry Society for the Marriage of Female Orphans and Maidens... reformed and added this year, 5466 (1706 CE)]." Livorno: Jacopo Valfisi, 1706. Spanish.
Booklet of rules and regulations for the dowry society of the community of Jews of Spanish-Portuguese extraction in Livorno (Italy), "la hebra de casar huerfanas y donzellas" ("Society for the Marriage of Female Orphans and Maidens"), reformed and ratified in 1706.
Rare. Not in OCLC.
Handwritten addendum (Spanish) dated 17th of Nisan, 5471 (April 6, 1711) on back flyleaf.
The society known as "la hebra de casar huerfanas y donzellas" ("Society for the Marriage of Female Orphans and Maidens") of the community of Jews of Spanish-Portuguese extraction in Livorno, was established in 1644 with the approval of Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The Livorno society modeled itself after earlier, existing funds for dowering brides in Amsterdam and Venice, and in its founding rules and regulations, it expressly declared its intention to operate in accordance with the Venetian example. Although the name of the society underscored the charity work it had conducted, it fundamentally functioned as a mutual aid society; it was, in effect, an instrument in preserving the social and financial status of the community's wealthier members. Membership in the society served as an indicator of wealth and social status in the Jewish community, and was passed on as an inheritance from one generation to the next. Society members were required to deposit a significant sum of money in its coffers, and after a number of years of unblemished membership, their daughters and female family members would qualify for generous dowries, even if the family had lost its personal wealth in the meantime. If sufficient funds were still available in the society's treasury after dowries had been granted to brides with priority status, dowries would also be granted to orphans and brides from poor families; even then, however, priority would be given to young women who had worked as servants in the homes of the society's members.
Among members of the Italian merchant class at the dawn of the Modern Era, the dowry represented the financial cornerstone of the family business, and by granting a respectable dowry to the next generation, the joint fund would be giving the younger generation a fiscal head start. The society's code included an extensive section that dealt in great detail with the manner in which the society's money would be invested; it listed numerous stipulations and provisos ensuring that the fund's assets would not be squandered through risky or potentially harmful investments. For instance, an investment in maritime commerce would necessitate the purchase of a comprehensive insurance policy. In addition, the society's liquid assets would be kept in a house secured with three separate locks, with the keys kept in a locked room in the synagogue, which also had a triple lock.
The society's rules and regulations reflected, among other things, its wish to strengthen adherence among its members and beneficiaries to Judaism; it was forbidden to invest in merchant ships destined for the Iberian Peninsula (where practicing Judaism was banned); society members who renounced their Jewish faith, or returned to Spain and Portugal and remained there for over a year – an act considered tantamount to converting to Christianity – had their membership revoked. If it was discovered that a couple had carnal knowledge of each other prior to the actual Jewish wedding ceremony, the husband would be compelled to return the dowry money he had been granted.
The historical records indicate that the actions of the society's founders – their financial acumen and their insistence on conducting the society according to their own meticulous rules and regulations – proved themselves over time; the society steadily augmented its assets, and functioned until the outbreak of the First World War, when the state finally expropriated its holdings and diverted them to assist war orphans.
67 pp., 20 cm. Parchment binding. Good condition. Stains, mostly minor. On p. 22, a printed strip of paper was pasted on as a means of amending the text at the time of printing. Worming to endpapers. Minor blemishes. Blemishes and stains to boards.
References:
1. Nourit Melcer-Padon, "Charity Begins at Home: Reflections on the Dowry Society of Livorno." In: Religious Changes and Cultural Transformations in the Early Modern Western Sephardic Communities, 2019.
2. Moises Orfali, "The Portuguese Dowry Society in Livorno and the Marrano Diaspora." In Studia Rosenthaliana, Vol 35, 2001.
Booklet of rules and regulations for the dowry society of the community of Jews of Spanish-Portuguese extraction in Livorno (Italy), "la hebra de casar huerfanas y donzellas" ("Society for the Marriage of Female Orphans and Maidens"), reformed and ratified in 1706.
Rare. Not in OCLC.
Handwritten addendum (Spanish) dated 17th of Nisan, 5471 (April 6, 1711) on back flyleaf.
The society known as "la hebra de casar huerfanas y donzellas" ("Society for the Marriage of Female Orphans and Maidens") of the community of Jews of Spanish-Portuguese extraction in Livorno, was established in 1644 with the approval of Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The Livorno society modeled itself after earlier, existing funds for dowering brides in Amsterdam and Venice, and in its founding rules and regulations, it expressly declared its intention to operate in accordance with the Venetian example. Although the name of the society underscored the charity work it had conducted, it fundamentally functioned as a mutual aid society; it was, in effect, an instrument in preserving the social and financial status of the community's wealthier members. Membership in the society served as an indicator of wealth and social status in the Jewish community, and was passed on as an inheritance from one generation to the next. Society members were required to deposit a significant sum of money in its coffers, and after a number of years of unblemished membership, their daughters and female family members would qualify for generous dowries, even if the family had lost its personal wealth in the meantime. If sufficient funds were still available in the society's treasury after dowries had been granted to brides with priority status, dowries would also be granted to orphans and brides from poor families; even then, however, priority would be given to young women who had worked as servants in the homes of the society's members.
Among members of the Italian merchant class at the dawn of the Modern Era, the dowry represented the financial cornerstone of the family business, and by granting a respectable dowry to the next generation, the joint fund would be giving the younger generation a fiscal head start. The society's code included an extensive section that dealt in great detail with the manner in which the society's money would be invested; it listed numerous stipulations and provisos ensuring that the fund's assets would not be squandered through risky or potentially harmful investments. For instance, an investment in maritime commerce would necessitate the purchase of a comprehensive insurance policy. In addition, the society's liquid assets would be kept in a house secured with three separate locks, with the keys kept in a locked room in the synagogue, which also had a triple lock.
The society's rules and regulations reflected, among other things, its wish to strengthen adherence among its members and beneficiaries to Judaism; it was forbidden to invest in merchant ships destined for the Iberian Peninsula (where practicing Judaism was banned); society members who renounced their Jewish faith, or returned to Spain and Portugal and remained there for over a year – an act considered tantamount to converting to Christianity – had their membership revoked. If it was discovered that a couple had carnal knowledge of each other prior to the actual Jewish wedding ceremony, the husband would be compelled to return the dowry money he had been granted.
The historical records indicate that the actions of the society's founders – their financial acumen and their insistence on conducting the society according to their own meticulous rules and regulations – proved themselves over time; the society steadily augmented its assets, and functioned until the outbreak of the First World War, when the state finally expropriated its holdings and diverted them to assist war orphans.
67 pp., 20 cm. Parchment binding. Good condition. Stains, mostly minor. On p. 22, a printed strip of paper was pasted on as a means of amending the text at the time of printing. Worming to endpapers. Minor blemishes. Blemishes and stains to boards.
References:
1. Nourit Melcer-Padon, "Charity Begins at Home: Reflections on the Dowry Society of Livorno." In: Religious Changes and Cultural Transformations in the Early Modern Western Sephardic Communities, 2019.
2. Moises Orfali, "The Portuguese Dowry Society in Livorno and the Marrano Diaspora." In Studia Rosenthaliana, Vol 35, 2001.
Category
Italian Jewry – Books and Documents
Catalogue