Lot 266
Bezalel Rug – Seven-branch Candelabra, David's Citadel and Temple Mount – Jerusalem, Early 20th Century
A pictorial rug depicting a seven-branch candelabra on a background of the Jerusalem skyline, made by Bezalel. Jerusalem, [between 1906 and 1908].
Wool knot-pile on cotton foundation.
An early Bezalel rug. The central panel depicts a candelabra with intertwined branches, flanked by two identical half-hidden candelabras. Behind the candelabra appears a fictional Jerusalem skyline, with inscriptions (in Hebrew) reading ‘David's Citadel’ and ’Temple Mount’ at the bottom, within the candelabra's base. The border contains a repetitive pattern of the word Zion. Inscribed ‘Bezalel, Jerusalem’ (in Hebrew) inside an additional inner border along the bottom.
45.5X168.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Some stains, damage and fading to the colors. Edges trimmed. Repairs to the carpet body and along the edges. Suspension strap sewn close to upper edge, on verso.
Literature:
1. Jewish Carpets, by Anton Felton. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1997, p. 96.
2. A Collector’s Guide to Judaica, by Jay Weinstein. London: Thames & Hudson, 1995, p. 168, illustration no. 221.
3. HALI Magazine, Issue 92, May-June 1997, p. 108.
Provenance: The Anton Felton Collection.
Exhibited: Bezalel 1906-1929, December 1982-June 1983, Israel Museum, Jerusalem. (Item no. 1 in the exhibition catalog index, p. 9.)
