Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
Painted after a photograph of R. Shimon Sofer which was presumably distributed shortly after his passing (see examples in the Abraham Schwadron Portrait Collection, NLI).
R. Shimon Sofer of Kraków (1820-1883), son and disciple of the Chatam Sofer and a leader of his generation, was an outstanding Torah scholar, holy and pure from youth. His father regarded his intellect and ideas to be untainted, and would rely on his reasoning from a young age. He also dealt in Kabbalah, following his father's counsel. He served as rabbi of Mattersdorf, and in 1861, was appointed rabbi of Kraków. A leader of Orthodox Jewry in Galicia, he also served as a member of the Austrian Parliament. Authored Michtav Sofer – responsa, novellae and homilies.
Approx. 65X50 cm, in a fine wooden frame (86X72 cm). Fair condition. Blemishes and cracks to canvas. Minor abrasions. Old canvas repairs on verso. Breaks to frame.
Portrait of R. Mordechai Jaffe (1740-1813), rabbi of Schwerin and chief rabbi of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, descendant of R. Mordechai Jaffe, the Levush. Oil on board. Familial inscriptions in German on verso.
Portrait of R. Mordechai Jaffe, holding a book of the Levush, with a quill beside him. The caption "Mordechai Jaffe" (Hebrew) appears on verso, followed by familial inscriptions in German, documenting several generations of his descendants and their families: Jette (Henrietta), wife of Selig Joseph Jaffe (1802-1884); Mathilde Jaffe (1863-1929), wife of R. David Mannheimer (1863-1919) – rabbi of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, and their children; and more.
This portrait was printed in the book Avot UMiddot by Eliezer Levi (descendant of the Levush), Tel Aviv: Abraham Zioni, 1962.
R. Mordechai (Marcus) Jaffe (1740-1813), rabbi of Schwerin and chief rabbi of the Mecklenburg-Schwerin duchy. Prominent German rabbi. Sixth generation patrilineal descendant of R. Mordechai Jaffe, the Levush (1530-1612).
Born in Berlin to R. Eliezer (Lazarus) son of R. Nechemiah Jaffe. At the age of 14, he travelled to study Torah in Lissa, where he was rabbinically ordained. He married the daughter of the Lissa community leader, R. Eizik Segal, and bore ten children. In ca. 1770, he was appointed dayan of Schwerin, later taking on the position of rabbi of Schwerin and chief rabbi of the Mecklenburg-Schwerin duchy (in place of R. Yehoshua Shapira, who served there from 1772-1775). R. Mordechai's uncle, R. Yeshaya Jaffe, served as rabbi of the Three Communities – Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbek and as yeshiva dean in Altona for forty years. R. Mordechai Jaffe refused several invitations to come serve as rabbi of the Three Communities and of the Jewish community of Copenhagen. He was beloved by Jews and gentiles alike, and after his passing at the age of 73, he was eulogized in non-Jewish newspapers as well.
Approx. 31X25.5 cm. Minor defects and abrasions (minor damage to painting and damage to inscriptions on verso). Framed: 37.5X32 cm.
Schwerin Decree – Polemic of Delaying Burial
In 1772, Duke Frederick II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin published a decree requiring the Jews to delay the burial of their dead for three days, in order to avoid the risk of mistakenly burying a live person. The Duke, who had been convinced by a Jewish apostate that the prohibition of delaying burial is based merely on kabbalistic reasons and has no source in the Bible or the Talmud, gave the Jews of his Duchy three weeks to present a contrary opinion from two prominent Jewish scholars. The rabbi of Schwerin, R. Mordechai Jaffe, therefore turned for assistance to R. Yaakov Emden (the Yaavetz) and to the renowned maskil Moses Mendelssohn, who was well-connected and had a good command of the German language. Mendelssohn formulated a substantiated letter which succeeded in convincing the Duke to rescind his decree, though he concurrently sent letters to R. Mordechai Jaffe and the Yaavetz, in which he presented his proofs as to why there was actually no prohibition in delaying burial, and that in the event the Duke would not reconsider his decision, the Jews would have to conform with the new law. In response, the Yaavetz and R. Mordechai Jaffe sent Mendelssohn letters in which they refuted his claims and entirely rejected his conclusion regarding the prohibition to delay burial (for more on this polemic and the letter exchange between the Yaavetz, R. Mordechai Jaffe and Moses Mendelssohn, see: Moshe Samet, Halanat Metim, in: Asufot, III, pp. 417-423; HaMe'asef 1785, Av, pp. 169-174, Elul, pp. 178-184). The polemic is mentioned by the Chatam Sofer (Responsa, Yoreh De'ah, section 338), where he writes admiringly of R. Mordechai Jaffe: "That rabbi spoke well".
Zalman Kleinman (1933-1995), "From Chaslavitch to Lubavitch". [Crown Heights, Brooklyn NY], 1983.
Oil on canvas. Signed in Hebrew and English ("זלמן קליימן" / "Z. Kleiman"), titled and dated.
Approx. 205.5X129.5 cm. Good condition.
This painting, which is one of the most famous works of the Chassidic artist Zalman Kleinman, portrays a group of ten Chassidim from Chaslavitch (Khislavichi) in a horse-drawn wagon, flying in the air, making their way to their rebbe in Lubavitch. Reproductions of this painting were printed, and are still being printed in countless books and publications, and decorate various Judaica items. This painting is often perceived as depicting the miraculous trips of the Baal Shem Tov.
The name of the painting, "From Chaslavitch to Lubavitch", is also the name of a Chabad folk song in Yiddish, occasionally sung at Chassidic farbrengens (gatherings). The song describes a Chabad Chassid setting out from his home in Chaslavitch and travelling to his rebbe in Lubavitch, despite the pleas of his wife and children, and regardless of his poverty and the difficulties of travelling. He is impeded in his journey by many obstacles, due to the overwhelmingly Mitnaged population of his hometown, Chaslavitch. The rabbis and most of the townspeople of Chaslavitch were Mitnagdim, and only a small minority belonged to the Chassidic sect. Chaslavitch, Amtchislav (Mstsislaw) and Cherikov (Cherykaw) were enclaves of Mitnagdim in a predominantly Chassidic region, and were dubbed "the dark canton" (Torat Shalom by the Rashab, p. 227).
The Chassid R. Zalman Zusia Kleinman (1933-1995) produced talented portrayals of Chassidic life, and his works adorn the homes of many Chabad Chassidim in Eretz Israel and worldwide. His paintings reflect the spirit of Chabad Chassidut – prayer, study of Chassidut, Chassidic farbrengen, travelling to the rebbe, and more; and include themes of Chassidic joy and humor.
In a letter from 9 Elul 1957 (Igeret 5721), the Lubavitcher rebbe suggested to R. Zalman to publish an album of drawings depicting life in Kfar Chabad, and even promised to provide funding for the project. The rebbe instructed him to draw "without embellishment and even without artistic embellishment… The main point… is that the illustrations appear in their simplicity, as they actually are…". Upon the rebbe's instructions, R. Zalman documented Chassidic life of Kfar Chabad in its early days, in many paintings. Elder Chassidim of Kfar Chabad can still recognize in some of R. Zalman's painting the village as it was in the early 1950s, with its colorful personalities, its houses and shacks, and its muddy streets.
R. Zalman's paintings also dealt with more general Jewish topics – scenes from the Torah and Passover Haggadah, Hachnassat Sefer Torah, Kiddush Levanah, Yom Kippur, and more. He also painted landscapes and portraits. His paintings are full of life and color, draw inspiration from day-to-day life, and faithfully document the environment in which he lived and operated. In her article "Zalman Kleinman, Brooklyn Realist" (in the book "Zalman Kleinman, Paintings", which features 102 of R. Zalman's paintings), the curator Dr. Cissy Grossman describes R. Zalman's unique style:
"Jewish painters from Europe and America have expressed Jewish life largely in nostalgic formulations. In 19th century Germany, Moritz Oppenheim painted scenes of Jews celebrating Succot, preparing for a bar-mitzvah and sitting at a Passover seder. His scenes were of a bygone lifestyle that he depicted in order to record the past and to lend dignity to the history of assimilated, bourgeois German Jews. The Polish Jewish artist Maurycy Gottlieb, who came out of the Haskalah movement of intellectual enlightenment, was trained in major art schools in Vienna and Rome and expressed his Jewishness in his depiction of Biblical scenes. He expressed his personal Jewish world in portraits of his family. More regional Polish Jewish painters, such as Samuel Hirszenberg, painted Jews as dignified beggars in the small streets of the ghetto, or in mythic groups of mourners and refugees. In 20th century New York City, Ben-Zion painted women blessing the Sabbath candles as sentimental recollections of a life left behind by the waves of immigrants who escaped the pogroms of the shtetls of Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and sought out the fabled gold streets of America. Many of those immigrants associated religion with their oppressed life and became socialists and secularists. Marc Chagall, the world famous painter of the School of Paris, painted many beautiful, fantastic images located in his hometown of Vitebsk. He painted them as dream landscapes when he was far away in Paris and New York. Zalman Kleinman is one of the few Jewish painters who paints the Jewish world he inhabits".
Provenance: Stern Family Collection. Purchased directly from the artist in the 1980s.
This item will be available for viewing at University Archives, Wilton, Connecticut, and at the Stern family's house, Scarsdale, NY, by appointment through Kedem.
R. Zalman Kleinman was born in Leningrad, Russia, to his mother Rivka, from Minsk, Belarus, and father R. Yaakov, from Warsaw, who immigrated to Russia during WWI together with his mother and younger sister Ita. During WWII, R. Zalman's grandmother and parents perished in the severe famine which reigned in German-besieged Leningrad. Zalman and his sisters were sent to public orphanages. After much efforts, their aunt Ita succeeded in bringing them over to her in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to the home of her father-in-law R. Nachum Shemaryah Sasonkin (previously rabbi of Batumi, Georgia). The Sasonkin family left Russia in 1947, together with the Kleinman children. They lived in Paris for a short period, and in December 1949, they immigrated to Israel, where R. Zalman settled in Kfar Chabad and devoted himself to painting. In 1954, he enlisted in the IDF, serving in the military rabbinate. R. Zalman decorated synagogues in various army camps and worked as illustrator for the army weekly Machanayim. Upon completing his army service, he went to study art in Paris, and after his marriage to Mrs. Rosa Neuhaus, they settled in Crown Heights, Brooklyn NY. R. Zalman worked as illustrator for various publishing houses and for the Yiddish weekly Algemeiner Journal. His art was greatly influenced by the paintings of his colleague R. Hendel Lieberman (Futerfas), a Chabad Chassidic artist who also depicted Chassidic life in his paintings. Over the years, his works were exhibited in various exhibitions worldwide, including in the Brooklyn Museum.
R. Zalman's works decorate various Chabad books and publications, including the covers of Sefer HaNigunim and the Nichoach tapes, covers of the musical albums Yiddishe Otzarot and Otzarot Yehudiim, the Otzar Sipurei Chabad series of books, the three parts of Sefer HaZichronot by the Rayatz and the three parts of Shemuot VeSippurim, and many other items.
In her memoirs, Rachel Zamir describes her brother R. Zalman: "He was a righteous man, modest and shy. Zalman was a good, honest man, noble, with intellectual depth on all areas of life. He quietly busied himself painting, and serenely devoted his free time to Torah study. He never sought out fame or students… in his paintings he expressed his Chassidic emotion. His paintings were full of Jewish and Chassidic topics, such as devoted prayer, farbrengens, Yom Kippur prayers, Kiddush Levanah, joyous Chassidic dancing, Hachnassat Sefer Torah… his paintings made a profound impact on their viewers. They aroused longing and yearning for Judaism even in the hearts of Jews still distant from Judaism. His paintings are scattered in thousands of homes worldwide and in institutions.... His illustrations appear today in many books, which were distributed and sold in tens of thousands of copies" (Shlichut Chayai, pp. 115-116).
The Binding of Isaac, painting by Yosef Zvi Geiger (1870-1944), signed "Yosef Zvi Lebakh." Safed, [ca. late 19th century].
The work is divided into two horizontal panels; at the top is an inscription in gilt Hebrew lettering: "And the binding of Isaac — on behalf of his descendants — may You remember it today with compassion" (from the Rosh Hashanah prayer). On the first panel, the Patriarch Abraham is depicted wearing a prayer shawl as he grasps the knife and raises it. Isaac lies supine, bound to the altar, while an angel with three pairs of wings and the feet of a calf (based on the description of Holy Creatures in Ezekiel 1:7) halts Abraham by grabbing the knife. The ram is shown on the left, with its horns entangled in the thickets. The lower panel portrays a scene which would chronologically precede the one depicted in the upper panel: Abraham and Isaac appear here as well; Abraham is pictured carrying the knife and the firepan, and Isaac is shown holding a bundle of wooden branches while reading a book – an allusion to the Midrashic legend wherein Abraham attempts to conceal from Sarah the Lord's command to him, that he sacrifice Isaac, by telling her that he is taking Isaac to learn Torah at the "Yeshiva of Shem [son of Noah]". Appearing to the right of Abraham and Isaac are Eliezer and Ishmael – who, again according to Midrashic legend, were the two "young men" mentioned as accompanying Abraham on his journey in the story of the Binding of Isaac – and the donkey. In this panel, like the angel in the upper panel, all the Hebrew figures and their allies – namely Abraham, Isaac, and Eliezer – are shown wearing green hats, whereas Ishmael is depicted wearing an "Ishmaelite" head covering – a Turkish fez – and smoking a cigarette, while a curved sword dangles from his belt. The illustrated scenes all have captions citing the relevant biblical verses, and the images of the "young men" and the donkey are all identified with labels: "Donkey, " "Eliezer, servant of Abraham, " and "Ishmael." Each panel is framed inside a decorative border suggestive of a rope.
By giving the signature "Yosef Zvi Lebakh, " Geiger is choosing to use his alternate surname, Lebakh, derived from his father's full name, Rabbi Todros Brill (acronym for "Ben R. Yehudah Leib") Lebakh. Yosef Zvi's father was one of the figures in charge of Kolel Vizhnitz (functioned under the auspices of the Kolel Ostreich, which in turn served Safed's Torah scholars of Galician origin), and hence documents from the archives of Kolel Vizhnitz bear his signature with the name "Lebakh".
The Isaac Einhorn collection features a highly similar work; the human figures, the composition, and the inscriptions are all virtually identical. But the rope-like border is missing in Einhorn's version, as are the individual labels, and the work is unfinished compared to the present work. In "Arts and Crafts in the Land of Israel in the Nineteenth Century" (see below), Fig. 108, this work is attributed to artist Moshe Shah Mizrahi on the basis of other signed works of his – lithographic prints – that similarly deal with the Binding of Isaac. Mizrahi's naïve style, the appearance of the human figures and their manner of depiction, the composition, the choice of themes and scenes, with inscriptions featuring quotes from the Midrash – these and other aspects of Mizrahi's output all strikingly characterize both the present painting and its "twin" in the Einhorn Collection. Hence, the "twin" was attributed to Mizrahi as a matter of course. Nevertheless, the existence of the present, signed work, proves that the Einhorn "twin" is in fact Yosef Zvi Geiger's.
From Isaac Einhorn's account, we know that Moshe Shah Mizrahi lived in Safed for a number of years after immigrating to Palestine toward the end of the 19th century, and it is reasonable to assume that his use of the theme of the Binding of Isaac, along with the ever-recurrent form of composition of the type seen here, were things he first encountered when he met Geiger; he simply adopted themes and motifs from Geiger's works – a very common approach in folk art. Also noteworthy is the observation made by Shalom Sabar in his (Hebrew) article titled "The Binding of Isaac in works by Moshe Shah Mizrahi" (see below) that the roots of the theme of the Binding of Isaac can actually be traced to Hasidic folk art from Poland; according to Sabar, "in Poland in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the story of the Binding of Isaac was beyond a doubt the most popular biblical story in Jewish art. Depictions of the story appear on a wide range of items, including printer's marks, Torah ark curtains, Torah crowns, silver buckles on sashes worn on Yom Kippur, platters for the redemption of the firstborn ceremony, silver book bindings, and folk-art papercuts." In addition, illustrations of the Binding of Isaac have been documented to have adorned the walls of old synagogues in Poland. In most portrayals of the Binding of Isaac – as in the present one – Abraham is shown donning a prayer shawl with a silver "atarah" neckband and black stripes, reminiscent of the typical Hasidic "tallith." Geiger's other works – including his papercuts – all clearly identify him as a folk artist deeply imbued with the artistic traditions of his Polish Hasidic origins and environment. In this regard, they can be thought of as a link that connects Polish-Hasidic folk art with the work of Moshe Mizrahi. It is also quite likely that the paintings of the Binding of Isaac by the renowned naïve artist Shalom Moskowitz (also known as Shalom of Safed or Shalom Zeigermacher) – regarded, for the most part, as based on Mizrahi – were in fact inspired directly by Yosef Zvi Geiger's renderings of the Binding.
49X41 cm. Fair condition. Tears, some lengthy, causing minor damage to illustration. Reinforced on both sides of sheet with strips of paper and acidic adhesive tape. Stains. Creases.
References:
1. Yona Fischer, curator and ed., "Arts and Crafts in the Land of Israel in the Nineteenth Century, " exhibition catalogue. Jerusalem: The Israel Museum, 1979, Hebrew.
2. Shalom Sabar, "The Binding of Isaac in works by Moshe Shah Mizrahi: one of the founding fathers of folk art in Palestine, " in Hana Amit, Aviad Hacohen, and Haim Be'er, eds., "Minha LiMenachem: Kovetz Ma'amarim Likhvod HaRav Menachem Hacohen." Ra'anana: Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 2007, Hebrew. Pp. 465-87.
Yosef Zvi Geiger (1870-1944), native of Safed. One of the most prominent public figures in Safed. He served as general secretary of Safed's "Kolel" institutions, and his home was a regular meeting place for the "gaba'im" (managers) of the various Kolelim and congregations. The Yishuv's newspapers – including "Havatzelet, " "HaLevanon, " and "HaZefirah" – regularly published his articles. He also served as a scribe for the Kolelim, and assisted illiterate members of the community by writing letters on their behalf. Geiger was renowned in Safed for being both a gifted scribe and talented painter, entrusted with producing beautifully scripted documents. Among his extant works are splendid "Mizrah" and "Shiviti" plaques, calligraphic and illustrated title pages for "donors books, " certificates for donors and greeting letters, as well as papercuts in the Eastern European style. His contemporaries remember beautiful marriage contracts he produced for the city's couples, decorated with gilt lettering and floral and vegetal designs; and artworks he created to decorate the walls of the local synagogues, including gilt-lettered plaques. Among his many special talents was his ability to inscribe micrographic texts onto grains of wheat; he could fit several verses from the Bible onto a single grain. In the (Hebrew) book of memoirs by Yosef Zvi's grandson, Benjamin Geiger, entitled "One of the Elders of Safed, " Benjamin writes that his grandfather also specialized in engraving in stone (and engraved several headstones in Safed). Benjamin also relates that Yosef Zvi was a lover and champion of the Hebrew language, and in his efforts to promote the language he would put up signs with words in Hebrew on the walls of study rooms and yeshivas throughout the town, so that children would get to know these words. He personally taught the language to his children and grandchildren, ensuring they would become fluent.
Hand-painted papercut for the holiday of Shavu'ot by Yosef Zvi Geiger. [Safed], 1914.
The papercut revolves around the (Hebrew) words "In Honor of the Holiday of Shavu'ot, Festival of the Giving of the Torah" in large gilt letters. Surrounding the letters and intertwined within them are slender branches bearing flowers, buds, and leaves. Birds are perched on the branches. Inscribed (in Hebrew) on the back of the papercut: "Made in 5674" = 1914.
The art of papercutting is perhaps the most quintessential type of European Jewish folk art. Eastern European Jewish papercuts assumed many different forms and exhibited a wealth of themes and motifs, to fit a wide range of purposes. They were used as "Mizrah" and "Shiviti" plaques; "Yahrzeit" plaques; "Shir HaMa'alot" plaques (Psalm 121) believed to give protection to childbearing mothers and newborns; "roizalakh" (rose-shaped ornaments) to decorate the household during the Shavu'ot holiday; "Ushpizin" plaques for the Sukkot holiday; and other forms of items. The present papercut represents a local Palestinian variation on the type of "roizalakh" made specifically for Shavu'ot; unlike its Eastern European counterparts, this one is not symmetrical, nor is it laid out according to the typical plan of Shavu'ot roizalakh from Eastern Europe. Nor, for that matter, does it follow the design of other, more traditional Shavu'ot roizalakh made by Geiger himself. But it does in fact resemble "Mizrah" and "Shiviti" papercut plaques, and Yosef Zvi Geiger lived and was active among the inhabitants of the Old Jewish Yishuv in Safed, many of whose members had brought with them the traditions of the Eastern European Jewish communities from which they originated.
24X23.5 cm. Good condition. Tears. Pinholes. Minor stains.
Yosef Zvi Geiger (1870-1944), native of Safed. One of the most prominent public figures in Safed. He served as general secretary of Safed's "Kolel" institutions, and his home was a regular meeting place for the "gaba'im" (managers) of the various Kolelim and congregations. The Yishuv's newspapers – including "Havatzelet, " "HaLevanon, " and "HaZefirah" – regularly published his articles. He also served as a scribe for the Kolelim, and assisted illiterate members of the community by writing letters on their behalf. Geiger was renowned in Safed for being both a gifted scribe and talented painter, entrusted with producing beautifully scripted documents. Among his extant works are splendid "Mizrah" and "Shiviti" plaques, calligraphic and illustrated title pages for "donors books, " certificates for donors and greeting letters, as well as papercuts in the Eastern European style. His contemporaries remember beautiful marriage contracts he produced for the city's couples, decorated with gilt lettering and floral and vegetal designs; and artworks he created to decorate the walls of the local synagogues, including gilt-lettered plaques. Among his many special talents was his ability to inscribe micrographic texts onto grains of wheat; he could fit several verses from the Bible onto a single grain. In the (Hebrew) book of memoirs by Yosef Zvi's grandson, Benjamin Geiger, entitled "One of the Elders of Safed, " Benjamin writes that his grandfather also specialized in engraving in stone (and engraved several headstones in Safed). Benjamin also relates that Yosef Zvi was a lover and champion of the Hebrew language, and in his efforts to promote the language he would put up signs with words in Hebrew on the walls of study rooms and yeshivas throughout the town, so that children would get to know these words. He personally taught the language to his children and grandchildren, ensuring they would become fluent.
Hand-painted papercut by Yosef Zvi Geiger, for Sukkot, meant to be used as a sukkah decoration, presenting the four beasts mentioned in the Ethics of the Fathers. [Safed], 1910.
This papercut bears depictions of an eagle, lion, gazelle, and leopard, separated by twisting branches bearing leaves, flowers, and buds. The illustrations are in reference to a famous Mishnaic passage from Tractate "Avot" 5:20: " Judah ben Tema said: Be strong as a leopard, and swift as an eagle, and fleet as a gazelle, and brave as a lion, to do the will of your Father who is in heaven." The words of the Mishnaic passage are inscribed on two medallions and on flowers and a piece of paper held in the mouths of the animals. Inscribed on the back, in Hebrew (with abbreviations), are the words "Made in 5670 [= 1910] / Sivan 5670."
The art of papercutting is perhaps the most quintessential type of European Jewish folk art. Eastern European Jewish papercuts assumed many different forms and exhibited a wealth of themes and motifs, to fit a wide range of purposes. They were used as "Mizrah" and "Shiviti" plaques; "Yahrzeit" plaques; "Shir HaMa'alot" (Psalm 121) plaques, believed to give protection to childbearing mothers and newborns; "roizalakh" (rose-shaped ornaments) to decorate the household during the Shavu'ot holiday; "Ushpizin" plaques for the Sukkot holiday; and other forms of items.
23.5X23 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. Glue and adhesive tape traces. Pinholes.
Yosef Zvi Geiger (1870-1944), native of Safed. One of the most prominent public figures in Safed. He served as general secretary of Safed's "Kolel" institutions, and his home was a regular meeting place for the "gaba'im" (managers) of the various Kolelim and congregations. The Yishuv's newspapers – including "Havatzelet, " "HaLevanon, " and "HaZefirah" – regularly published his articles. He also served as a scribe for the Kolelim, and assisted illiterate members of the community by writing letters on their behalf. Geiger was renowned in Safed for being both a gifted scribe and talented painter, entrusted with producing beautifully scripted documents. Among his extant works are splendid "Mizrah" and "Shiviti" plaques, calligraphic and illustrated title pages for "donors books, " certificates for donors and greeting letters, as well as papercuts in the Eastern European style. His contemporaries remember beautiful marriage contracts he produced for the city's couples, decorated with gilt lettering and floral and vegetal designs; and artworks he created to decorate the walls of the local synagogues, including gilt-lettered plaques. Among his many special talents was his ability to inscribe micrographic texts onto grains of wheat; he could fit several verses from the Bible onto a single grain. In the (Hebrew) book of memoirs by Yosef Zvi's grandson, Benjamin Geiger, entitled "One of the Elders of Safed, " Benjamin writes that his grandfather also specialized in engraving in stone (and engraved several headstones in Safed). Benjamin also relates that Yosef Zvi was a lover and champion of the Hebrew language, and in his efforts to promote the language he would put up signs with words in Hebrew on the walls of study rooms and yeshivas throughout the town, so that children would get to know these words. He personally taught the language to his children and grandchildren, ensuring they would become fluent.
Pencil and watercolor on paper. Stamped "Industrial art workshop (formerly Gur Arie and Raban), Bezalel Jerusalem".
The sketch depicts a scribe in oriental garb holding a quill and a scroll of parchment. A gazelle lies under the scribe's chair; the whole scene is set within a pointed, stylized, mihrab-like arched niche, featuring a hanging oil lamp. Two handsome birds, surrounded by vine branches and bunches of grapes, are perched atop the arch.
A silverplate repoussé brass plaque (probably somewhat bigger) based on the sketch was set on a bookshelf designed by Raban. See "Ze'ev Raban: a Hebrew Symbolist", p. 98.
19.5X46 cm. Good-fair condition. Tears, some repaired. Open tears to edges, not affecting sketch. Stains. Fold lines. Matted.
Reference: Batsheva Goldman Ida, Ze'ev Raban: a Hebrew Symbolist. Tel Aviv and Jerusalem: Tel Aviv Museum of Art and Yad Yitzhak Ben Zvi, 2001. P. 98.
Oil on panel. Signed. Titled on back (in French): "Juive d'Alger" ["Jewish Woman of Algiers"].
Jean-Baptiste Huysmans (1826-1906), Belgian painter, native of Antwerp, identified with the Orientalist trend in European painting. Studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp (1843-49). After completing his studies there, he wandered throughout Europe for several years, and became acquainted with works of the greatest of the painters of the Near East – in particular Jean-Léon Gérôme and John Frederick Lewis, the most prominent Orientalist painters in France and Great Britain. He later embarked on a series of journeys throughout the Mediterranean Basin, exploring Greece, Turkey, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Algeria. In the course of these travels, he produced his most memorable paintings, that would come to be among the most highly regarded of artworks in the field of Oriental European painting. Huysman's paintings focus on scenes and images from daily life; they are characterized by bold color, and are distinguished by the careful attention to details such as accessories and items of jewelry and costume. The present work is no exception. Huysman's inexhaustible meticulousness also finds expression in his journals and research studies, which are replete with detailed descriptions of objects and items of clothing. The artist also made his mark by creating murals portraying scenes from the Scriptures for a number of Jerusalem's churches.
Approx. 30.5X39 cm. In an elegant frame, approx. 52X61 cm. Blemishes and fractures to frame.
Silver, cast, repoussé, engraved, cut and pierced. Marked with the Lion of San Marco (Venice); marks of silversmith / assayer ("Saggiatore di Zecca"): Zuanne Cottini (the letters "Z.C." with a tower or castle between them) and Antonio Poma ("A.P." with an apple between them); additional mark adjacent to Poma's: HON/OR.
Spicebox, used for the "Havdalah" ritual in the synagogue. With a hexagonal pedestal, elongated leg, hexagonal spice container, and stylized lid surmounted by a screw. The spicebox is decorated entirely in vegetal and floral patterns, and bears delicate, meticulously cut leaf-like ornaments characteristic of Italian objects of this period. A (later) inscription (Hebrew) appears on the bottom of the pedestal: "Synagogue of the Sephardi [Jews]."
In contrast to the customary practices in Polish and Ashkenazic communities, the use of special spice containers was decidedly uncommon in Italy, and when spice containers were in fact created there, they were usually modeled after corresponding objects familiar to Polish and Ashkenazic immigrants. Thus, we know of only a handful of spiceboxes in this distinctive Italian style.
Three spiceboxes of this type are documented in the catalogue of the Zagayski Collection (The Jewish Museum, New York, 1963; see below). There, in reference to two of these spiceboxes, it is noted that they had most likely been repurposed, having served earlier as Torah finials (part of a set of Torah accessories which also included a Torah crown). In all likelihood, the present spicebox was also originally created as part of a set of Torah crown and finials, and eventually, once the finials had become obsolete, one of them was repurposed as a Havdalah spicebox. Such sequence of events might explain the peculiar design and morphology of this spicebox, wherein the central shaft extends the entire length of the object, from the leg to the apical screw.
The silversmiths whose marks appear on this spicebox were both active in Venice – Antonio Poma from 1672 to 1716, and Zuanne Cottini from 1712 to 1736. As with other items from this period, it is not entirely clear which of these two silversmiths was the one who created the present object, and which was the assayer ("Saggiatore di Zecca") working on behalf of the guild or workshop. But since Poma's mark appears only once, adjacent to the mark "HONOR", it does appear likely that Poma – apparently the senior of the two – was the assayer, while Cottini was the silversmith who created the object. The fact that Cottini's mark appears in a number of places strengthens this hypothesis. Considering the respective time periods of activity of the two craftsmen intersected in the years 1712 to 1716, we can assume this item was created sometime in that roughly four-year interval.
A Torah pointer dated 1711/12 (Item No. 37314 from the Gross Family Collection), made by Antonio Poma of Venice, is documented at the Center for Jewish Art of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem; and a pair of Torah finials bearing Poma's marks, was offered for auction at Christie's, Geneva, in May, 1994 (lot 160). Evidently, one of the spiceboxes from the Zagayski Collection mentioned above – sold in 2013 as part of the Michael and Judy Steinhardt Judaica Collection, (lot 83, see below) – also bears the marks of Antonio Poma.
We know of two magnificent Torah crowns, which, like the present spicebox, bear the marks of Zuanne Cottini. One is found today in the collection of the North Carolina Museum of Art (Item No. 2017.1). And the other, dated ca. 1700, was first presented in 2013 as part of an exhibition of items of Judaica rediscovered in one of the synagogues of the Ghetto of Venice after being hidden there in 1943 (it appears in a photograph in the 2013 exhibition catalogue and in a photo in the auction catalogue of the Steinhardt Judaica Collection, p. 140).
Height: 25.5 cm. Width at base: 8 cm. Minor fractures, with some loss. Minor bends and old soldering repairs.
For further information and similar items, see:
1. "Treasures of the Jewish Ghetto of Venice restored by Venetian Heritage with the Support of Maison Vhernier, " The Belvedere, Vienna, 2014, pp. 58-59; p. 66.
2. Guido Schoenberger and Tom L. Freudenheim, "The Silver and Judaica Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Michael M. Zagayski, " The Jewish Museum, New York, 1963, items 58, 75, 76 (photographed).
3. "The Michael and Judy Steinhardt Judaica Collection, " Sotheby's, New York, April 29, 2013, lot 83; p. 140.
4. "Important Design, " Bonhams, London, 27 Nov. 2019, lot 100.
5. Sotheby's, New York, May 1986, lot 288; auctioned again at Sotheby's, Tel Aviv, October 1991, lot 206.
Silver, cast, repoussé, die-stamped and engraved; marked: hallmarks of Vienna and maker's mark (FLT).
The center of the shield is occupied by Tablets of the Law (blank), beneath curtains drawn to the sides, surmounted by a large crown. A pair of lions rampant, langued, support the crown with one paw and the curtains with the other. On the lower part of the shield, an opening for displaying interchangeable plaques (with one plaque: "Chag Shemini Atzeret / Chag HaSukkot"). Lower edge of opening inscribed: "Szegedi izr. Hitközség" (Jewish Community of Szeged). Original chains.
Finials with round, domed bases engraved with foliate design. Cylindrical shafts with decorative band at center, hung with bells and topped with a spherical ornament of which the top half is crown-shaped and the bottom half is goblet-shaped and decorated with branches and leaves. Both finials inscribed at base: "Szegedi izr. Hitközség".
The Jewish community of Szeged, Hungary was formed only in 1781. Its first synagogue was built in 1803, and the present shield and finials, which bear an identical inscription, were apparently amongst the first sacred objects dedicated to the synagogue and used by the community. Before the outbreak of WWII, the community numbered 4161, but most perished in the Holocaust.
Franz Lorenz Turinsky (ca. 1757 – 1829) was a master silversmith in late 18th and early 19th centuries Vienna. He joined the silversmiths' guild in 1789 and was active until 1828. Other Judaica items he produced, including primarily finials and Torah shields can be found in various private and museum collections throughout the world (such as the Jewish Museum, Vienna and the Jewish Museum, New York). There are records of two other pairs of finials produced by Turinsky in 1806.
For other items by Turinsky and more information about him, see: Center for Jewish Art, items 37219, 4002 (the Bill Gross collection); Crowning Glory, item 322; Pierre Berge auction catalog (June 2015), item 15.
Height of shield: 32 cm. Width: 25 cm. Several ornaments broken or lacking. Without cover of plaque compartment. Height of finials: approx. 32 cm, diameter of base: 14 cm. Breaks and bends. One finial tilts sideways. Lacking hook and bell. One bell detached. Soldering repairs. Lacking ornaments at top of finials.
Provenance: Collection of Rabbi Tamás Raj.
Silver, repoussé, cast and engraved; marked with maker's mark: FZ.
cartouche-shaped backplate, surmounted by a crown. In center of backplate, Tablets of the Law, flanked by a pair of lions. The Tablets are inscribed: "The committee of the first Jewish help society in Szeged for assisting the sick and burying the dead". A stylized medallion beneath the tablets reads: "19th Elul 1872". Removable row of oil fonts; removable servant light.
Height: 24 cm; width: 23 cm. Good condition. Minor bends. Sticker on base.
Provenance: Collection of Rabbi Tamás Raj.
Silver (marked with marks of silversmith "A. Riedel" and his workshop, "O.C / 1886" [assayer Osip (Josef) Sosnkowski], "84" and a double-headed eagle), repoussé, die-stamped and cast; appliqué.
Backplate framed by rocailles, flowers and leaves, surmounted by a pair of birds supporting a crown. In center of backplate, a wide vase brimming with bunches of grapes, with a bird perched on them. Two palm trees flanked by a pair of langued heraldic lions stand at the back of the festooned balcony containing the oil fonts.
The lamp rests on four stylized feet. The removable servant light is affixed to the top right of backplate, with an oil jug (also removable) on top left.
A very similar Chanukah lamp, also by Antoni Riedel, is held in the Jewish Museum in London. See: Susan L. Braunstein, Five Centuries of Hanukkah Lamps from The Jewish Museum (New York: The Jewish Museum / New Haven and London: Yale University, 2004), no. 356, p. 282.
Height: 26 cm. Maximum width: 23 cm. Good condition. Minor bends. Minor breaks. Some font covers replaced.