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.