Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11
Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Opening: $10,000
Estimate: $15,000 - $25,000
Sold for: $50,000
Including buyer's premium
Spicebox. Venice, Italy, [ca. 1712-16].
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, 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.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Catalogue
Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Opening: $10,000
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000
Unsold
Torah shield and pair of finials from the Jewish community of Szeged, made by the silversmith Franz Lorenz Turinsky. Vienna, 1804.
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, 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.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Catalogue
Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
Unsold
Silver Chanukah lamp, dedicated to the Society for Assisting the Sick and Burying the Dead, Szeged, Austro-Hungary; dated 19th Elul 1872.
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, 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.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Catalogue
Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
Sold for: $3,500
Including buyer's premium
Silver Chanukah lamp, made by the silversmith Antoni Riedel. Warsaw, 1886.
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.
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.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Catalogue
Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Opening: $3,000
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
Sold for: $3,750
Including buyer's premium
Seven brass and wooden seals. Romania, Hungary and other places in Europe, [19th and early 20th centuries].
1. Brass seal of the Chevrat Tehillim in Yas (Iași), Romania, 5623 (1862/3). Engraved (Hebrew): "Seal of the Chevrat Tehillim of the Wooden Bridge Beit Midrash in Yas… David, King of Israel Lives Forever", with chronogram for the year 5623.
Diameter: 3.5 cm. Height: 3 cm. Good condition. Break to handle.
2. Brass seal of the Chevra Kaddisha in Raab (Győr), Hungary. [19th or early 20th century]. Engraved (Yiddish): "Raab and Raabsziget Chevra Kaddisha".
Diameter: approx. 4.5 cm. Good condition. Lacking part of handle.
3. Brass seal. Engraved (Hebrew): "Chaim Pinchas son of R. Moshe HaKohen, posek".
Diameter: 3 cm. Height: 2.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Corrosion. Lacking part of handle.
4. Square brass seal with carved wooden handle. Engraved (Hebrew, in cursive script): "… Yeshaya Doctorowitz".
Seal: 1.5X1.5 cm. Height: 6 cm. Good condition. Minor defects.
5. Oval-shaped brass seal with carved wooden handle. Engraved (Hebrew, in cursive script): "Eli. Kohen Berman [Hebrew] – E. Berman".
Maximum diameter: 2.5 cm. Height: 8 cm. Good condition. Seal worn.
6. Brass seal. Engraved: "Mordechai son of R. R. Meyer [Hebrew] – MM".
Diameter: 2 cm. Height: approx. 2.5 m. Good condition.
7. Brass seal. Engraved: "Netanel son of R. Aron [Hebrew] – NA".
Diameter: 1.5 cm. Height: 3.5 cm. Good condition.
1. Brass seal of the Chevrat Tehillim in Yas (Iași), Romania, 5623 (1862/3). Engraved (Hebrew): "Seal of the Chevrat Tehillim of the Wooden Bridge Beit Midrash in Yas… David, King of Israel Lives Forever", with chronogram for the year 5623.
Diameter: 3.5 cm. Height: 3 cm. Good condition. Break to handle.
2. Brass seal of the Chevra Kaddisha in Raab (Győr), Hungary. [19th or early 20th century]. Engraved (Yiddish): "Raab and Raabsziget Chevra Kaddisha".
Diameter: approx. 4.5 cm. Good condition. Lacking part of handle.
3. Brass seal. Engraved (Hebrew): "Chaim Pinchas son of R. Moshe HaKohen, posek".
Diameter: 3 cm. Height: 2.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Corrosion. Lacking part of handle.
4. Square brass seal with carved wooden handle. Engraved (Hebrew, in cursive script): "… Yeshaya Doctorowitz".
Seal: 1.5X1.5 cm. Height: 6 cm. Good condition. Minor defects.
5. Oval-shaped brass seal with carved wooden handle. Engraved (Hebrew, in cursive script): "Eli. Kohen Berman [Hebrew] – E. Berman".
Maximum diameter: 2.5 cm. Height: 8 cm. Good condition. Seal worn.
6. Brass seal. Engraved: "Mordechai son of R. R. Meyer [Hebrew] – MM".
Diameter: 2 cm. Height: approx. 2.5 m. Good condition.
7. Brass seal. Engraved: "Netanel son of R. Aron [Hebrew] – NA".
Diameter: 1.5 cm. Height: 3.5 cm. Good condition.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Catalogue
Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Unsold
Silver pseudo-coin (medal imitating an ancient Hebrew coin), "The Holy City of Jerusalem / King David and His Son King Solomon." [Europe (Hamburg?), 16th century?].
Silver. Diameter: 23 mm.
One side of the "coin" features an old city wall with three turrets and a gate, along with an inscription in square Hebrew script: "Jerusalem / the Holy City"; the other side bears the (Hebrew) inscription: "King David / and His Son / King Solomon." The design of this medal follows the Talmudic teaching: "What is the coin of ancient Jerusalem? The names David and Solomon on one side, and Jerusalem the Holy City on the other side" (BT Baba Kama 97b).
Similar coins – differing in how the lines break in the inscription "King David and His Son King Solomon" – were documented in an article by Mordechai Narkiss (in Hebrew) titled "Imaginary Hebrew Coins" published in the journal "Mizrah U-Ma'arav" (Vol. II, Issue no. 2, 1928). In this article, Narkiss points out that "as early as the 13th century, among Spanish [Sephardi] Jews, the [image of the] triple-turreted tower was accepted as a customary symbol representing Jerusalem. The seal of Todros Ha-Levi from the 14th century and the seal of the Jewish community of Seville from the 13th century are evidence of this." The triple-turreted tower is also reminiscent of the emblem of the City of Hamburg, and this particular coin may have in fact been minted there, since Hamburg was one of the main places where Jewish pseudo-coins were produced.
An engraving depicting a similar coin appears in a book authored by the Protestant theologian Kaspar Waser (1565-1625) titled "Antiquis Numis Hebraeorum, Chaldaeorum et Syrorum" ["Ancient Hebrew, Chaldean, and Syrian Coins"] published in 1605 (p. 72).
An identical pseudo-coin can be found in the Israel Museum Collection (Item No. 71.00432).
Pseudo-coins designed based on ancient Jewish sources, the Talmud, and Midrashic texts, began to appear in Europe in the 15th century. In addition to the present coin, for instance, we know of a pseudo-coin bearing the image of the Patriarch Abraham, based on a passage from the same page of the Babylonian Talmud (Baba Kama 97b) as the present coin: "What is the coin of our forefather Abraham? An elderly man and elderly woman on one side, and a young man and a young woman on the other side." We also know of such coins dedicated to Joshua bin Nun, Esther and Mordechai, and other ancient and/or biblical Jewish heroes. See: Ya'akov Meshorer, "The Third Side of the Coin, " Hebrew, pp. 103-108 (the present coin is featured on p. 104).
The most common of the Jewish pseudo-coins are the so-called "false shekels". These shekel-denominated pseudo-coins began to appear in the course of the 15th century in the town of Görlitz (today in the eastern German state of Saxony). The idea of producing these coins – known as "Görlitz Shekels" – is attributed to Görlitz's mayor, Georg Emmerich, who visited the Holy Land as a pilgrim in 1465, and, upon returning to Prussia, had a replica of the tomb of Jesus, the Holy Sepulchre, built in his town. Pseudo-shekels were offered as souvenirs to the pilgrims coming to visit the replica of Holy Sepulchre, and at first were presented as replicas of one of the thirty shekel coins given to Judas Iscariot by the chief priests as payment for his betrayal of Jesus. From then on, such coins were minted – with minor alterations – first throughout the lands of the Holy Roman Empire and subsequently in additional countries, becoming equally popular among Christians and Jews.
The minters of pseudo-shekel coins in Görlitz and other places had never actually seen a real Jewish shekel coin from the time of the Great Revolt (66-70 CE), and were forced to rely on descriptions from ancient Jewish sources, as well as their own imaginations. Thus, while true ancient Jewish coins bear inscriptions in Paleo-Hebrew script, the pseudo-coins have inscriptions in modern square-script Hebrew letters, and, in general, in form and content, they are quite unlike the genuine ancient Jewish shekel coins they are modeled after. Over the years, these pseudo-coins were put to a variety of uses; among the Jews of Europe, they served to recall the mitzvah of the half-shekel coin; they were used as a form of "tzedakah" (charity) and as a means of fulfilling the mitzvah of alms for the poor on the Purim holiday; and they served as a type of amulet. They were also probably used in lieu of the five "sela'im" of silver delivered to the Kohen (priest) at traditional "Pidyon HaBen" (Redemption of the Firstborn) ceremonies.
For additional reading:
1. Ira Rezak, "The Matter of Faith: Numismatic Extrapolation of Biblical Traditions, " "Médaille, " FIDEM, Lisbon, 2013, pp. 51-58.
2. Ira Rezak, "Genuine Imitations: Jewish Use of Pseudo-Coins, " "The Israel Numismatic Journal, " 15, 2006, pp. 152-69.
Silver. Diameter: 23 mm.
One side of the "coin" features an old city wall with three turrets and a gate, along with an inscription in square Hebrew script: "Jerusalem / the Holy City"; the other side bears the (Hebrew) inscription: "King David / and His Son / King Solomon." The design of this medal follows the Talmudic teaching: "What is the coin of ancient Jerusalem? The names David and Solomon on one side, and Jerusalem the Holy City on the other side" (BT Baba Kama 97b).
Similar coins – differing in how the lines break in the inscription "King David and His Son King Solomon" – were documented in an article by Mordechai Narkiss (in Hebrew) titled "Imaginary Hebrew Coins" published in the journal "Mizrah U-Ma'arav" (Vol. II, Issue no. 2, 1928). In this article, Narkiss points out that "as early as the 13th century, among Spanish [Sephardi] Jews, the [image of the] triple-turreted tower was accepted as a customary symbol representing Jerusalem. The seal of Todros Ha-Levi from the 14th century and the seal of the Jewish community of Seville from the 13th century are evidence of this." The triple-turreted tower is also reminiscent of the emblem of the City of Hamburg, and this particular coin may have in fact been minted there, since Hamburg was one of the main places where Jewish pseudo-coins were produced.
An engraving depicting a similar coin appears in a book authored by the Protestant theologian Kaspar Waser (1565-1625) titled "Antiquis Numis Hebraeorum, Chaldaeorum et Syrorum" ["Ancient Hebrew, Chaldean, and Syrian Coins"] published in 1605 (p. 72).
An identical pseudo-coin can be found in the Israel Museum Collection (Item No. 71.00432).
Pseudo-coins designed based on ancient Jewish sources, the Talmud, and Midrashic texts, began to appear in Europe in the 15th century. In addition to the present coin, for instance, we know of a pseudo-coin bearing the image of the Patriarch Abraham, based on a passage from the same page of the Babylonian Talmud (Baba Kama 97b) as the present coin: "What is the coin of our forefather Abraham? An elderly man and elderly woman on one side, and a young man and a young woman on the other side." We also know of such coins dedicated to Joshua bin Nun, Esther and Mordechai, and other ancient and/or biblical Jewish heroes. See: Ya'akov Meshorer, "The Third Side of the Coin, " Hebrew, pp. 103-108 (the present coin is featured on p. 104).
The most common of the Jewish pseudo-coins are the so-called "false shekels". These shekel-denominated pseudo-coins began to appear in the course of the 15th century in the town of Görlitz (today in the eastern German state of Saxony). The idea of producing these coins – known as "Görlitz Shekels" – is attributed to Görlitz's mayor, Georg Emmerich, who visited the Holy Land as a pilgrim in 1465, and, upon returning to Prussia, had a replica of the tomb of Jesus, the Holy Sepulchre, built in his town. Pseudo-shekels were offered as souvenirs to the pilgrims coming to visit the replica of Holy Sepulchre, and at first were presented as replicas of one of the thirty shekel coins given to Judas Iscariot by the chief priests as payment for his betrayal of Jesus. From then on, such coins were minted – with minor alterations – first throughout the lands of the Holy Roman Empire and subsequently in additional countries, becoming equally popular among Christians and Jews.
The minters of pseudo-shekel coins in Görlitz and other places had never actually seen a real Jewish shekel coin from the time of the Great Revolt (66-70 CE), and were forced to rely on descriptions from ancient Jewish sources, as well as their own imaginations. Thus, while true ancient Jewish coins bear inscriptions in Paleo-Hebrew script, the pseudo-coins have inscriptions in modern square-script Hebrew letters, and, in general, in form and content, they are quite unlike the genuine ancient Jewish shekel coins they are modeled after. Over the years, these pseudo-coins were put to a variety of uses; among the Jews of Europe, they served to recall the mitzvah of the half-shekel coin; they were used as a form of "tzedakah" (charity) and as a means of fulfilling the mitzvah of alms for the poor on the Purim holiday; and they served as a type of amulet. They were also probably used in lieu of the five "sela'im" of silver delivered to the Kohen (priest) at traditional "Pidyon HaBen" (Redemption of the Firstborn) ceremonies.
For additional reading:
1. Ira Rezak, "The Matter of Faith: Numismatic Extrapolation of Biblical Traditions, " "Médaille, " FIDEM, Lisbon, 2013, pp. 51-58.
2. Ira Rezak, "Genuine Imitations: Jewish Use of Pseudo-Coins, " "The Israel Numismatic Journal, " 15, 2006, pp. 152-69.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Catalogue
Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Opening: $3,000
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
Sold for: $16,250
Including buyer's premium
Tablecloth for the Sabbath and holidays. Augsburg, Germany, 1759/60.
Printed cotton fabric; red ink.
The texts of the Kiddush for the evening meals of the Sabbath and Sabbatical holidays and the ritual of "Eruv Tavshilin" (performed when preparing a cooked food item prior to a holiday immediately followed by the Sabbath) appear at the center of the tablecloth, printed in elegant Ashkenazi script and enclosed within a decorative frame. The name of G-d is represented by a ligature, customarily used in Ashkenazi manuscripts and books. The place and date where the tablecloth was made are given in a Hebrew inscription which appears (in faded ink) outside the decorative frame: "Made in the City of Augsburg in the year ‘The Almighty illuminates my spirit to benefit the public'" [chronogram equivalent to Hebrew year 5520 = 1759/60].
Above and below the texts are images of winged putti holding flowers, and, in each of the four corners, vases filled with flowers. Geometric design at top and bottom; floral frame.
It was customary among the Jews of Germany to create elegant textiles for household use during the Sabbath and holidays. In addition to tablecloths printed and embroidered with the text of the Kiddush, we know of elegant embroidered tablecloths and towels specially made for the Passover holiday.
Tablecloths similar to the one here can be found in the collection of the Jewish Museum, New York ("Fabric of Jewish Life, " 1977 [see below], Item No. 192), and in the Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv (documented in the Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art, Item No. 39219). The date given for the items in these two collections is Hebrew year 5525 (1764/65). Another similar but undated tablecloth is found in the collection of the Jewish Museum London ("Catalog of the Jewish Museum, London, " Item No. 365). The measurements, the colors, and the decorative elements and their placement around the text – all vary to a minor extent from one tablecloth to the next: some are printed in black and others in red; on some, the putti and flowers are embellished in gold ink; and on one tablecloth, the text is encompassed by putti on all sides. On the present tablecloth, both text and decorative elements are entirely in red.
Approx. 186X103 cm. Good condition. Several dark stains. Some unraveling and small open tears (with minor damage to print). Lightly mended.
References:
1. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett and Cissy Grossman, "Fabric of Jewish Life, " The Jewish Museum, New York, 1977, p. 109.
2. R.D. Barnett, "Catalog of the Jewish Museum, London, " The Jewish Museum, London, 1974, p. 71, pl. CX.
Printed cotton fabric; red ink.
The texts of the Kiddush for the evening meals of the Sabbath and Sabbatical holidays and the ritual of "Eruv Tavshilin" (performed when preparing a cooked food item prior to a holiday immediately followed by the Sabbath) appear at the center of the tablecloth, printed in elegant Ashkenazi script and enclosed within a decorative frame. The name of G-d is represented by a ligature, customarily used in Ashkenazi manuscripts and books. The place and date where the tablecloth was made are given in a Hebrew inscription which appears (in faded ink) outside the decorative frame: "Made in the City of Augsburg in the year ‘The Almighty illuminates my spirit to benefit the public'" [chronogram equivalent to Hebrew year 5520 = 1759/60].
Above and below the texts are images of winged putti holding flowers, and, in each of the four corners, vases filled with flowers. Geometric design at top and bottom; floral frame.
It was customary among the Jews of Germany to create elegant textiles for household use during the Sabbath and holidays. In addition to tablecloths printed and embroidered with the text of the Kiddush, we know of elegant embroidered tablecloths and towels specially made for the Passover holiday.
Tablecloths similar to the one here can be found in the collection of the Jewish Museum, New York ("Fabric of Jewish Life, " 1977 [see below], Item No. 192), and in the Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv (documented in the Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art, Item No. 39219). The date given for the items in these two collections is Hebrew year 5525 (1764/65). Another similar but undated tablecloth is found in the collection of the Jewish Museum London ("Catalog of the Jewish Museum, London, " Item No. 365). The measurements, the colors, and the decorative elements and their placement around the text – all vary to a minor extent from one tablecloth to the next: some are printed in black and others in red; on some, the putti and flowers are embellished in gold ink; and on one tablecloth, the text is encompassed by putti on all sides. On the present tablecloth, both text and decorative elements are entirely in red.
Approx. 186X103 cm. Good condition. Several dark stains. Some unraveling and small open tears (with minor damage to print). Lightly mended.
References:
1. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett and Cissy Grossman, "Fabric of Jewish Life, " The Jewish Museum, New York, 1977, p. 109.
2. R.D. Barnett, "Catalog of the Jewish Museum, London, " The Jewish Museum, London, 1974, p. 71, pl. CX.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Catalogue
Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Opening: $600
Estimate: $1,000 - $2,000
Sold for: $750
Including buyer's premium
Conical, pointed, gold-embroidered women's head covering ("duka"). Tunisia, [late 19th or early 20th century].
Silk and silk velvet, couched metal-cord embroidery (gold and silver), sequins.
A conical, pointed head covering made of black velvet over a card base, densely embroidered with gilt metal cord in symmetrical vegetal patterns. Sewn onto the head covering is an embroidered yellow silk scarf that hangs down over the back of the neck and back.
Paintings and photographs from the 19th and early 20th centuries – many of them appearing on postcards distributed throughout the Jewish world – show Tunisian Jewish women in various forms of dress. These pictures indicate that this particular head covering was an element of ceremonial costume, to be worn during Sabbatical holidays, Sabbaths, wedding celebrations, and other festive occasions, namely at times when women were expected to wear their best jewelry and most elegant clothing, the latter lavishly gold embroidered. The renowned French author Guy de Maupassant recalls having encountered Tunisian Jewish women during his visit to the region, roughly in 1890, and mentions their spectacular finery: "Their heads are topped by pointed headdresses that are often silver or golden […] with a scarf cascading down the back […] in their finest garments, something resembling nightgowns made of gold or silver weave […] On the Sabbath […] they receive their friends […] seated one beside the other […] covered in silks and shining fabrics…" (cited by Hagar Salamon and Esther Juhasz, "'Goddesses of Flesh and Metal': Gazes on the Tradition of Fattening Jewish Brides in Tunisia, " "Journal of Middle East Women's Studies, " Vol. 7, No. 1 [Winter 2011], pp. 1-38).
Height: 20 cm. Length of scarf: approx. 60 cm. Good-fair condition. Blemishes to embroidery, unraveled sections and tears.
For a similar head covering, see The Israel Museum Collection, Item No. B79.1012.
Enclosed: Four postcards with photographs of Tunisian Jewish women wearing the "duka" head covering. 9X14 cm. Good condition. Minor stains and blemishes.
Silk and silk velvet, couched metal-cord embroidery (gold and silver), sequins.
A conical, pointed head covering made of black velvet over a card base, densely embroidered with gilt metal cord in symmetrical vegetal patterns. Sewn onto the head covering is an embroidered yellow silk scarf that hangs down over the back of the neck and back.
Paintings and photographs from the 19th and early 20th centuries – many of them appearing on postcards distributed throughout the Jewish world – show Tunisian Jewish women in various forms of dress. These pictures indicate that this particular head covering was an element of ceremonial costume, to be worn during Sabbatical holidays, Sabbaths, wedding celebrations, and other festive occasions, namely at times when women were expected to wear their best jewelry and most elegant clothing, the latter lavishly gold embroidered. The renowned French author Guy de Maupassant recalls having encountered Tunisian Jewish women during his visit to the region, roughly in 1890, and mentions their spectacular finery: "Their heads are topped by pointed headdresses that are often silver or golden […] with a scarf cascading down the back […] in their finest garments, something resembling nightgowns made of gold or silver weave […] On the Sabbath […] they receive their friends […] seated one beside the other […] covered in silks and shining fabrics…" (cited by Hagar Salamon and Esther Juhasz, "'Goddesses of Flesh and Metal': Gazes on the Tradition of Fattening Jewish Brides in Tunisia, " "Journal of Middle East Women's Studies, " Vol. 7, No. 1 [Winter 2011], pp. 1-38).
Height: 20 cm. Length of scarf: approx. 60 cm. Good-fair condition. Blemishes to embroidery, unraveled sections and tears.
For a similar head covering, see The Israel Museum Collection, Item No. B79.1012.
Enclosed: Four postcards with photographs of Tunisian Jewish women wearing the "duka" head covering. 9X14 cm. Good condition. Minor stains and blemishes.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Catalogue
Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $5,000 - $7,000
Sold for: $2,750
Including buyer's premium
Pictorial rug depicting a seven-branch candelabrum and the Tablets of the Law, made at Bezalel. Jerusalem, [1906 to 1914].
Wool knot-pile; cotton foundation.
The central panel – the outline of which echoes that of the Tablets of the Law – displays an Art Nouveau-style candelabrum with intertwined branches, a familiar design by early Bezalel artists. The rug’s stylized base is decorated with Stars of David and 'Zion' monograms; the same inscription repeats in the border. The Tablets of the Law appear within the candelabrum's main shaft, with the word 'Zion' once again in the background, behind the candelabrum's branches. The entire central panel is strewn with small seven-branch candelabras. Signed "Bezalel Jerusalem" in the border.
134X105 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. Strap sewn to verso.
Provenance: The Anton Felton Collection.
Reference:
1. Jewish Carpets, by Anton Felton. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1997, pp. 95.
2. Gereh International Carpet and Textile Review, Issue 12, June 1997, pp. 8.
Wool knot-pile; cotton foundation.
The central panel – the outline of which echoes that of the Tablets of the Law – displays an Art Nouveau-style candelabrum with intertwined branches, a familiar design by early Bezalel artists. The rug’s stylized base is decorated with Stars of David and 'Zion' monograms; the same inscription repeats in the border. The Tablets of the Law appear within the candelabrum's main shaft, with the word 'Zion' once again in the background, behind the candelabrum's branches. The entire central panel is strewn with small seven-branch candelabras. Signed "Bezalel Jerusalem" in the border.
134X105 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. Strap sewn to verso.
Provenance: The Anton Felton Collection.
Reference:
1. Jewish Carpets, by Anton Felton. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1997, pp. 95.
2. Gereh International Carpet and Textile Review, Issue 12, June 1997, pp. 8.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Catalogue
Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Sold for: $2,250
Including buyer's premium
Pictorial rug depicting David's Tower, made by Marbadiah/Bezalel. [Jerusalem, 1920s.]
Wool knot-pile; cotton foundation.
Rug in bold red, ochre and black. The main central panel features a mihrab-like arched window, showing David's Tower. The arched panel border reads, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning" (Psalms 137:5; Hebrew), and at its base the words “Tower of David” in Hebrew. The rest of the panel is strewn with a repeating pattern of candelabra. The rug’s wide border displays a repetitive cartouche and floral pattern; the cartouches quote – again – the verses from Psalms 137:5-6: "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning; If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." The four corners of the border contain characteristic Bezalel candelabra.
93x72 cm. Good condition. Some fading to edges. Cropped fringes. Straps sewn to the upper and lower edges on verso.
Provenance: The Anton Felton Collection.
Reference: Jewish Carpets, by Anton Felton. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1997, pp. 103.
Wool knot-pile; cotton foundation.
Rug in bold red, ochre and black. The main central panel features a mihrab-like arched window, showing David's Tower. The arched panel border reads, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning" (Psalms 137:5; Hebrew), and at its base the words “Tower of David” in Hebrew. The rest of the panel is strewn with a repeating pattern of candelabra. The rug’s wide border displays a repetitive cartouche and floral pattern; the cartouches quote – again – the verses from Psalms 137:5-6: "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning; If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." The four corners of the border contain characteristic Bezalel candelabra.
93x72 cm. Good condition. Some fading to edges. Cropped fringes. Straps sewn to the upper and lower edges on verso.
Provenance: The Anton Felton Collection.
Reference: Jewish Carpets, by Anton Felton. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1997, pp. 103.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Catalogue
Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
May 24, 2022
Opening: $3,000
Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000
Sold for: $8,750
Including buyer's premium
Pictorial rug with images from the Song of Songs. Made by Marbadiah/Bezalel; designed by Jacob Kantorowitz. Jerusalem, [1920s].
Wool knot-pile; cotton foundation.
The main panel displays a rich array of intertwining flora and fauna – deer, ibex, turtledoves, peacocks and cranes appear amongst vines and flowers, under a canopy of a tall palm tree bisecting a blue field, hinting at the outline of the Tablets of the Law. The main border displays peacocks and clusters of grapes. The two guard strips are inscribed with Hebrew texts, the outermost of these repeats the words "Song of Songs" whilst the inner strip recites the verse "The blossoms have appeared in the land…" from the Song of Songs. Signed (Hebrew) "Marbadiah Jerusalem".
The Marbadiah workshop was founded in 1920 as a successor to the Bezalel carpet-weaving department, which had been headed by Jacob Kantorowitz. Kantorowitz also managed Marbadiah, and designed this carpet.
135X98 cm. Good condition. Some fading. Straps sewn to upper and lower edges on verso.
Provenance: The Anton Felton Collection.
Reference: Jewish Carpets, by Anton Felton. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1997, pp. 88-91.
Wool knot-pile; cotton foundation.
The main panel displays a rich array of intertwining flora and fauna – deer, ibex, turtledoves, peacocks and cranes appear amongst vines and flowers, under a canopy of a tall palm tree bisecting a blue field, hinting at the outline of the Tablets of the Law. The main border displays peacocks and clusters of grapes. The two guard strips are inscribed with Hebrew texts, the outermost of these repeats the words "Song of Songs" whilst the inner strip recites the verse "The blossoms have appeared in the land…" from the Song of Songs. Signed (Hebrew) "Marbadiah Jerusalem".
The Marbadiah workshop was founded in 1920 as a successor to the Bezalel carpet-weaving department, which had been headed by Jacob Kantorowitz. Kantorowitz also managed Marbadiah, and designed this carpet.
135X98 cm. Good condition. Some fading. Straps sewn to upper and lower edges on verso.
Provenance: The Anton Felton Collection.
Reference: Jewish Carpets, by Anton Felton. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1997, pp. 88-91.
Category
Jewish Ceremonial Art, Carpets
Catalogue