Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
Manuscript, machzor comprising the Amidah prayers for Rosh Chodesh, the three festivals and High Holidays, selected piyyutim for these days and the Passover Haggadah, according to Italian rite. Illustrated miniature manuscript on a single sheet of parchment cut into roundels. [Italy, late 15th or early 16th century].
Miniature manuscript, Italian semi-cursive script on both sides of a sheet of parchment cut into roundels. The roundels are arranged in seven rows of seven roundels each; diameter of each roundel approx. 5.5 cm; altogether 49 conjoined roundels (98 written "pages").
This unique format allows for dynamic use of the manuscript, enabling the reader to fold the various roundels into different configurations in order to expose the appropriate prayer segments. Upon completion of the prayers, the entire manuscript can be folded to the diameter of a single roundel, and be easily stored and carried. Due to its limited size, the manuscript does not include the full prayer texts, rather an abridged version comprising selected sections (the Haggadah appears in full).
Ornamental initial word panels with foliate designs – delicate leaves and branches in green, pink and burgundy. The illustrations include an angel blowing a shofar next to a trumpet bearing figure (at the beginning of the Kol Nidrei prayer), the four sons from the Passover Haggadah, Rabban Gamliel, other figures in contemporary dress (a figure holding a wine goblet near the blessing over the second cup, figures wielding matzah and maror, and more), and animals (leopard, rabbit, and more). Although generally the artist confined his illustrations to the individual roundels, he occasionally overstepped the boundaries of the design. The wicked son is shown in the roundel above that containing the simple son and appears to be stepping down through the two spaces, his sword poised, as the simple son, cowering below, looks up to him. In other depictions, the figures are placed halfway between two roundels, the fold between the two units occurring at the waist of the figure.
There are only a few Christian and Muslim manuscripts that bear some similarity to this manuscript; the best-known of them is the Codex Rotundus, a "book of hours" (Christian devotional) manuscript scribed and illuminated in Bruges during the 15th century, known as the Rotundus due to its circular shape. Likewise, several manuscripts of the Quran cut into miniature octagons were produced in Iran and Turkey in the 16th and 17th centuries (though written on paper rather than on parchment).
None of these manuscripts, however, include the most striking and unique features of the manuscript offered here – namely, its miniature dimensions, it being written on a single sheet of parchment that can be folded to pocket size, and it being written in Hebrew. These three features make this manuscript an extremely rare and exceptionally unique item.
There are only two known Hebrew equivalents of the present manuscript:
1. In April 2018, a similar manuscript from the 15th century, without illustrations, was sold in Kedem; comprised of 76 roundels and containing the year-round machzor – High Holidays, three festivals and Rosh Chodesh (lacking title page roundel). See Kedem Auction 61, item 3.
2. A similar manuscript is held in the Skirball museum, Los Angeles (the Sally Kirschstein collection). It comprises 64 roundels – written on one side only, with the Passover Haggadah, and features only two illustrations – matzah and maror.
Another item which must be mentioned in this context (despite the obvious differences) is a small medal-shaped box holding 19 hand-colored conjoined roundels (4.2 cm in diameter) showing scenes from the life of Joseph Siskind Oppenheimer ("Jew Süss"), printed in Württemberg in 1738.
See Hebrew description for a list of the piyyutim included in this manuscript
[98] pages. Parchment sheet: approx. 40X40 cm. Diameter of roundels: approx. 5.5 cm. Overall good condition. Minor damage and tears. Stains (dark stains to some roundels). Ink and paint faded in some places. Placed in silver case.
Provenance:
1. Private collection.
2. Private collection (since 1984). Acquired by the present owner at Sotheby's NY, February 1 1984.
This item will be available for viewing at University Archives, Wilton, Connecticut, by appointment through Kedem
Ink and tempera on parchment, gilt.
Oval-shaped illuminated plaque of the cleansing society in Rome, a society which delt in the ritual cleansing and shrouding of the dead, and joining the prayers in the mourners' home during the seven days of mourning. Large illustration at the bottom, depicting thirteen men and one woman dressed in the finest early-19th century fashion, surrounding a shrouded dead, next to washing jugs and a casket.
Decorative illuminated geometric border; at the top – an illuminated baroque cartouche decorated with flowers and ribbons, stating: "These are the names of the men responsible for the washstand and its base for washing, the Cleansing Chevra Kaddisha... as elected on the 17th of Nissan 1816... renewed now in the days of the elder R. Shmuel Corcos... R. Yitzchak Di Cori and R. Avraham Yitzchak Tedesco in 1816".
Beneath the cartouche is an illuminated table listing the members of the society: Rabbi Leon [R. Yehuda Leon Rabbi of Rome], R. Shmuel Corcos, R. Gershon Yitzchak Ascarelli, R. Manoah (Tranquillo) son of David Voltera, R. Shmuel Yehuda Di Castro, R. Shabtai son of R. Chizkiyah Ambron, R. Yitzchak Berechiah Barrafaele, R. Shabtai Menachem Chaim Alatri, R. Shabtai Chaim Modigliani, R. Chananiah Esdra, R. Yitzchak Di Cori, R. Avraham son of Yechiel Tivoli, R. Shlomo Refael Tedesco, Manoah Corcos, R. David Velletri, R. Avraham Yitzchak Tedesco, R. Mordechai Ascarelli, R. Aharon Efrati, R. Mordechai Yosef Del Monte and R. Menachem Modigliani.
The fashionable dress of the figures in the illustration – breeches, tailcoats, waistcoats, stiff collars and elegant top hats – reflects the attitude of Italian Jewry to Italian culture, and its readiness to integrate financially, politically and culturally into the society and adopt its ways, ranging from art to leisure activities. This visual testimony to the material culture of Italian Jewry, in particular in regard to their dress, joins a drawing by Hieronymus Hess (1799-1850) from ca. 1823 depicting a synagogue in Rome during prayer time, where the Jews are portrayed dressed in a very similar fashion to those in the present plaque (though in a somewhat antisemitic and derisive vein).
In the period when this plaque was written, the cleasing society was one of the oldest and most established societies in Rome. Its leaders were wealthy merchants and prominent figures in the community – Manoah (Tranquillo) Voltera, Yitzchak Barrafaele who was the wealthiest person in the ghetto (Milano, 261), and members of the Ascarelli family; the society itself had considerable capital in form of real estate. The members of the society were split into two groups who exchanged tasks – one group worked on the ritual cleansing of the deceased, while the other prayed with the mourners.
A similar plaque documenting the cleansing society in Rome in 1801, bearing a mostly identical illustration, is held in the Israel Museum (L-B85.0056). The Israel Museum collection also includes another plaque, from Florence, 1776, listing the names of the members of the Metaharei Metim society, with an illustration depicting the cleansing of the deceased (B90.0108).
The present plaque is photographed in the book "The Life Cycle" by Shalom Sabar, p. 284.
Approx. 35.5X27 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes to paint. Minor stains. Penciled inscriptions and pieces of paper pasted on verso.
Literature:
1. Attilio Milano, The Ghetto of Rome. Tel Aviv: Sifriat Maariv, 1992.
2. Hermann Vogelstein, Paul Rieger, Geschichte der Juden in Rom, II. Berlin: Mayer & Müller, 1895.
3. Shalom Sabar, The Life Cycle. Jerusalem: Ministry of Education and Ben Tzvi Institute, 2006.
Provenance: Private collection. Acquired by the present owner in Sotheby's, 17 May 1985.
Square and semi-cursive (Rashi) Ashkenazic script. Title page within illustrated border depicting the figures of Moses and Aaron, lions and eagles. Inscription in same hand as title, dated 1772, attesting that the book belongs to Menli son of R. Yaakov R.H. of Aszód. Four initial words decorated with floral designs, in color.
Blank (paper) leaves were bound at the beginning and end of the manuscript, to be used as circumcision ledger. Familial inscriptions (marriage and birth records) from the city of Petzel (Pécel, Hungary), dated 1842-1846 were inscribed in later years on these leaves in Hebrew and German.
[10] parchment leaves + [19] paper leaves bound at beginning and end of volume. Coated parchment. Approx. 11 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dark stains. Inscriptions. Original decorated leather binding. Wormhole to binding.
Title page in large calligraphic script, featuring the name of the writer – Kalman son of R. Yitzchak Itzek, and the year – 5584 (1824). The year refers to the date the Pinkas was prepared; inscriptions were subsequently added, the final inscription being from 1891.
The title page also states that the Pinkas was prepared at the behest of the community leaders: R. Lieberman son of R. Moshe Nasch (possibly son of R. Moshe Nasch Rabbi of Zwolle, mentioned in the memorial section), and R. Yehuda Leib son of R. Moshe Levi, Gabbai Tzedakah.
The Pinkas begins with various prayers recited at the Bimah in the synagogue (Birkat HaChodesh, Av HaRachamim, Mi Sheberach for a donor, Mi Sheberach for a woman experiencing a difficult labor); as well as the Ramban's text of Pidyon Nefesh (printed in several books, such as Shem Tov Katan and Amtachat Binyamin).
The prayers are followed by Hazkarat Neshamot (memorial) records. This section opens with the names of two rabbis of the Netherlands (the writer did not know the exact year of their passing, and therefore left a space): R. Moshe son of R. Yoel Nasch Rabbi of Zwolle (Overijssel; d. 1807) and R. Yaakov Moshe son of R. Shaul Lowenstam Rabbi of Amsterdam (d. 1815). Listed next are the rabbis of Leeuwarden (Friesland), under whose jurisdiction the Bolsward community presumably fell: R. Nachman son of R. Yaakov Segal (d. 1769); R. Katriel son of R. Yehuda Lifschitz (d. 1792, his Torah novellae were published in the Tel Talpiot anthology); R. Yechiel Aryeh Leib son of R. Yaakov Moshe Lowenstam (d. 1807, in his father's lifetime); R. Avraham son of R. Yitzchak Tiktin (d. 1821, of Copenhagen); R. Chaim son of R. Aryeh Leib Lowenstam (d. 1836, son of R. Aryeh Leib Breslau Rabbi of Rotterdam). Includes other records of men and women from the community and the surroundings.
[5] parchment leaves (8 written pages). 31.5 cm. Good condition. Stains and wear. New binding.
Neat handwriting, with calligraphic script. Two decorated title pages, in English and Hebrew, which state that the manuscript was presented by Shaul Tzvi Lorie in memory of his father, mother and wife (with the dates of their passing): "Brighton Hebrew Congregation – In affectionate remembrance of Mr. S.H. Lorie and his beloved and lamented parents and wife...", "From me, Shaul Tzvi Lorie". Additional dedication at the foot of the final page.
The manuscript includes: text of Hazkarat Neshamot, Mi Sheberach, HaGomel blessing, prayer for Monday and Thursday, text for calling up Chatan Torah and Chatan Bereshit, blessings of the Haftarah, Yekum Purkan, prayer for the monarch in Hebrew and English (for King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra, and the royal family), Yizkor, and more.
The Hebrew title page and the dedication on final page are dated 5664, later corrected to 5665. The English title page reads 5666, 1905.
Several paper leaves are bound at the beginning of the booklet. One of them contains two additional Mi Sheberach texts, signed "Moshe Heilperin, Beit Din scribe and proofreader". The manuscript is bound in leather binding with a gilt design.
[9] paper leaves (one written), [11] parchment leaves. 29.5 cm. Good condition. Stains to parchment leaves. Tears and stains to paper leaves. Binding loose. Tears and damage to binding. Spine restored.
Red, gold and silver ink on parchment; cursive Sephardic script, the word Chai is enlarged. Witnesses' signatures deleted.
Such ketubot were usually printed on paper, while the present ketubah was printed on parchment. The ketubah is decorated with stamped illustrations of holy sites and gravesites of Tzaddikim, foliate designs, a pair of lions, and verses.
58X46 cm. Fair condition. Creases, damage and tears (one repaired with tape). Minor stains, some caused by smudging of red ink.
This Torah scroll, which dates from the period preceding the Spanish expulsion, preserves a unique tradition of unusual letters. The present scroll comprises many hundreds such letters. Likewise, it contains many letters with special crownlet decorations (apart from the usual crownlets appearing in every Torah scroll). Altogether, the present scroll contains over 1800 unique appearances of unusual letters and extensive crownlet decorations.
Pre-expulsion Sephardi Torah scrolls are very rare; only a few such scrolls are extant today. The present scroll was examined by experts and compared to similar Torah scrolls known today. See enclosed expert opinion (from the scholar Efraim Binyamin Caspi), in which he lists the uniqueness and significance of the present Torah scroll, and the traditions appearing uniquely in this scroll, which are not known from other sources.
Most of the early Sephardi Torah scrolls do not have unusual letters and extensive crownlet decorations (see below). A very similar scroll, from the 15th century, was sold in Christie's New York (December 1999, item 171); and later sold again through Sotheby's New York (December 2017, item 168).
There are parallels between the present Torah scroll and R. Menachem HaMeiri's Tikkun Sofrim list in his book Kiryat Sefer, as well as parallels to extensive crownlet decorations and unusual letters in Shirat HaYam in the work Melechet HaSofer by R. Moshe Zabarra, a Spanish exile. Nevertheless, there are unique appearances in the present Torah scroll which are not found in any other source known today.
This scroll was written according to the tradition and custom of early scribes, as detailed in the early book Sefer Tagi. The Rambam quotes this tradition in Hilchot Sefer Torah (chapter 7, law 8): "…and one should be particular with enlarged and reduced letters, letters with an overdot and unusual letters, such as the winding Pe and crooked letters, as transmitted from one scribe to another. And one should be particular about the crownlet decorations and their number, some letters have one crownlet and some have seven…". This style of writing gradually disappeared over the course of the generations, due to lack of uniformity between the different versions of the Masorah, and relying on the responsum of the Rambam who stated that a Torah scroll is not disqualified if lacking the extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters. In recent times, Torah scrolls are no longer scribed with extensive crownlet decoration and unusual letters. In the above-mentioned responsum, the Rambam stated that all Torah scrolls in Spain and North Africa include the crownlet decorations – indicating that these traditions were still preserved in his times. Nevertheless, this phenomenon is very rare in early Spanish scrolls known today.
Torah scroll on brown gevil, processed and coated. Comprises 71 membranes (all membranes original, apart from one which was replaced a short time later, presumably in the 16th century; writing tradition accurately copied from original membrane). Height of membranes: approx. 67 cm. Overall good condition. Stains. Creases. Tears, holes and defects (repairs in several places).
Enclosed: detailed report from Efraim Binyamin Caspi about the uniqueness and significance of the present Torah scroll.
The scroll underwent Carbon-14 testing at the Weizmann Institute, and the results confirm the dating of the scroll to the second half of the 15th century (test results appended to expert report).
Ink, oil and gouache on parchment.
Large scroll in neat Ashkenazic script with crownlet decorations. 40 lines per column; 11 columns; three membranes. Impressionist illustrations were later painted above and beneath the text columns (presumably in the second half of the 19th century), with artistic depictions of the megillah scenes. A ladder is painted across the column listing the ten sons of Haman; a hangman is seen climbing up to the gallows at the top of the column, while his colleague steadies the ladder at the bottom. The columns are separated by foliate and geometric designs, and clown figures.
Height of parchment: 49 cm. Good condition. Minor damage. Stains. Creases. Stitching of membranes partially unraveled. Pinholes to edges of final membrane.
Provenance: according to the family, this megillah comes from the estate of Rabbi Dr. Meyer (Marcus) Lehman (1831-1890), rabbi of Mainz – a prominent German rabbi, editor of the Israelit and leader of the battles for Orthodox Judaism in Germany.
Ink and silkscreen on parchment. The scroll is signed by Agam, and numbered 17/180.
Large scroll, written on eight sheets of parchment (42 rows per column); decorated with multicolor compositions in Yaacov Agam's distinctive geometric style.
Height of parchment: 49.5 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Strips of adhesive tape on back, at lines of attachment of sheets. Corners of last sheet clipped.
Certificate of authenticity enclosed.