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300 kippot, hats and head-coverings from Central Asia, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Bukhara, Uzbekistan, Turkistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, North Africa and the Balkan countries. Most of the hats and head-coverings in this collection were made in their native countries at the end of the 19th century and in the first decades of the 20th century and reached Israel with the wave of Jewish immigrants from the Diaspora (although amongst them are also head-covering and kippot from the second half of the 20th century, from Eretz Israel and other countries).
The kippot were gathered by the Davis couple who appreciated Jewish folk art in all its forms of material expressions, and formed a rich and varied collection which later evolved into one of the leading collections among their different collections.
On the inner side of many kippot are serial numbers of the Davis collection and many have been documented throughout the years in exhibit catalogs and have been publicized in books. The Davis couple testify to their collection of kippot: "Our collection has an abundance of kippot including many different types of kippot, handmade, which are used for head-coverings in various communities including those brought in the book by Bossert, H. Th. Decorative Art of Egypt and Asia, (London, 1956). Some of our kippot were displayed in the Bukhara exhibition in the Israel Museum in the winter of 1967. They were also displayed in the exhibition of Israel Throughout the Generations which took place in the Petit Palace in Paris in 1968". (Jewish Folk-art Throughout the Generations, by Eli and Elise Davis, p. 42).
Among the items are also a number of accompanying embroidered items: Eretz Israel Palestinian head-coverings, belts, Iranian tallit corners embroidered with verses from the Shma, embroidered hosiery from Bukhara, etc. Varied size and condition.
Literature:
1. Hats and Caps of the Jews, Eli and Elise Davis (Mesada Publishers, 1983).
2. Jewish Folk-art Throughout the Generations by Eli and Elise Davis (published by Reuven Mas, Jerusalem, 1978).
3. Pe'er HaRosh, Head-coverings for Festivals and Ceremonies (Exhibit catalog at the ethnographic and folklore booth, Eretz Israel Museum, Tel-Aviv, 1991).
From the collection of Arnie Druck.