Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
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Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Sold for: $1,500
Including buyer's premium
Micrography forming the Hebrew letter "aleph" in Ashkenazi style; consisting of the Hebrew piyyut (liturgical poem) for Rosh HaShanah, "Ahot Ketanah" ("Little Sister") by Rabbi Abraham Hazan Gerondi. [Italy, 1828]. Hebrew.
A distinctively unique work of micrography. Ink on paper. Evidently inscribed towards Rosh HaShanah of Hebrew Year 5589 (1828). The Hebrew year is noted at the end of the poem, following the (Hebrew) words "Let the year and its blessings begin."
The piyyut "Ahot Ketanah" ("Little Sister') was written in the 13th century by the famed kabbalist, Rabbi Abraham Hazan Gerondi (i.e., "of Gerona"), who belonged to a select group of kabbalists living in Gerona, Spain. Included among the members of the group were Nahmanides, Rabbi Jonah ben Abraham Gerondi (author of "Sha'arei Teshuvah"), and Rabbi Zerachiah ben Isaac ha-Levi Gerondi (author of "Menorat HaMa'or"). This piyyut, which opens with the words "The little sister – her prayers / she prepares and proclaims her praises, " and concludes with "Let the year and its curses conclude… Let the year and its blessings begin, " was particularly cherished and beloved by Jewish communities. For hundreds of years, the piyyut has served as the opening words to the Rosh HaShanah prayers, and although it is chanted primarily in Sephardi congregations, it also appears in Ashkenazi "mahzorim" (special High Holiday prayer books).
Approx. 5.8X5.5 cm (uneven margins). Good condition. Stains. Framed in 13X9 cm frame (openable).
A distinctively unique work of micrography. Ink on paper. Evidently inscribed towards Rosh HaShanah of Hebrew Year 5589 (1828). The Hebrew year is noted at the end of the poem, following the (Hebrew) words "Let the year and its blessings begin."
The piyyut "Ahot Ketanah" ("Little Sister') was written in the 13th century by the famed kabbalist, Rabbi Abraham Hazan Gerondi (i.e., "of Gerona"), who belonged to a select group of kabbalists living in Gerona, Spain. Included among the members of the group were Nahmanides, Rabbi Jonah ben Abraham Gerondi (author of "Sha'arei Teshuvah"), and Rabbi Zerachiah ben Isaac ha-Levi Gerondi (author of "Menorat HaMa'or"). This piyyut, which opens with the words "The little sister – her prayers / she prepares and proclaims her praises, " and concludes with "Let the year and its curses conclude… Let the year and its blessings begin, " was particularly cherished and beloved by Jewish communities. For hundreds of years, the piyyut has served as the opening words to the Rosh HaShanah prayers, and although it is chanted primarily in Sephardi congregations, it also appears in Ashkenazi "mahzorim" (special High Holiday prayer books).
Approx. 5.8X5.5 cm (uneven margins). Good condition. Stains. Framed in 13X9 cm frame (openable).
Category
Graphic Art, Drawings, Jewish Ceremonial Art and Various Objects
Catalogue
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $1,500
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000
Sold for: $2,375
Including buyer's premium
Small "Shiviti, " with fine representations of the "LaMenatze'ah" Menorah and Temple vessels, and with Biblical verses, abbreviations, and kabbalistic names, used for purposes of protection and defense. Scribe: Joshua Nahman of Ancona (Italy). Rome, 5591 [1831].
Ink and pencil on parchment.
An artistically rendered "Shiviti" with illustrations of the Temple Menorah (Seven-branched Candelabrum) and Temple vessels, and an additional illustration of a small Menorah enclosed within a Star of David (at the base of the large Menorah). The illustrations are in pencil, with ink delicately added to create an illusion of shadows and depth.
The work is replete with letter combinations, initials (abbreviations), Biblical verses, and names, bearing the potential, in kabbalistic thought, of offering protection and defense. Some of the specific devices used here are rather unusual, and not commonly found on "Shiviti" of this sort. For instance, the verses of Psalms 4 are enclosed within rectangular ornaments on either side of the shaft of the large Menorah; they are written in reverse, beginning at the end on the bottom left and concluding at the beginning, on the top right.
The artist-scribe has signed his name in the bottom margin: " Created by … Joshua Nahman … of the City of Ancona [Italy], here in Rome, Year 5591 [1831 CE]."
Approx. 17.5X10 cm. Good condition. Stains and some fading to ink. Framed in 29X20 cm carved wooden frame (openable).
Ink and pencil on parchment.
An artistically rendered "Shiviti" with illustrations of the Temple Menorah (Seven-branched Candelabrum) and Temple vessels, and an additional illustration of a small Menorah enclosed within a Star of David (at the base of the large Menorah). The illustrations are in pencil, with ink delicately added to create an illusion of shadows and depth.
The work is replete with letter combinations, initials (abbreviations), Biblical verses, and names, bearing the potential, in kabbalistic thought, of offering protection and defense. Some of the specific devices used here are rather unusual, and not commonly found on "Shiviti" of this sort. For instance, the verses of Psalms 4 are enclosed within rectangular ornaments on either side of the shaft of the large Menorah; they are written in reverse, beginning at the end on the bottom left and concluding at the beginning, on the top right.
The artist-scribe has signed his name in the bottom margin: " Created by … Joshua Nahman … of the City of Ancona [Italy], here in Rome, Year 5591 [1831 CE]."
Approx. 17.5X10 cm. Good condition. Stains and some fading to ink. Framed in 29X20 cm carved wooden frame (openable).
Category
Graphic Art, Drawings, Jewish Ceremonial Art and Various Objects
Catalogue
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $1,500
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000
Sold for: $3,000
Including buyer's premium
Ketubah recording the marriage of the groom Shlomo son of R. Avraham Pariente, with the bride Freha daughter of R. Avraham Wahnoun. Tétouan (Morocco), Sivan 1862.
Ink on parchment; oil paint.
Decorated ketubah; the text is framed by a fine Moorish arch, surrounded by foliate ornaments in tones of green and orange. The arch is flanked by two birds, and surmounted by the traditional blessing "BeSimna Tava...". The ketubah is topped with a cornice decorated with diamond shapes filled with foliage.
Witnesses' signatures at the foot of the ketubah: R. Yitzchak ben Walid Rabbi of the city, and R. Vidal Israel – a local dayan.
R. Yitzchak Ben Walid (1777-1870), chief rabbi of Tétouan and leading kabbalist in Morocco. Renowned as a holy man and wonder-worker. Already in his youth, he stood out for his purity, holiness and asceticism. He was the disciple of two Moroccan Torah leaders, R. Menachem Nahon and R. Moshe HaLevy. After the passing of R. Moshe HaLevy, he was asked by the Tétouan community to succeed him as rabbi of the city. He initially refused, and fled to Gibraltar to avoid having to assume this position, yet after his hideout was discovered, he eventually acceded to the pleas of the community rabbis and accepted the position. R. Yitzchak Ben Walid was known as a leading halachic authority, and many halachic questions were sent to him from throughout Morocco and even other countries. His responsa were published in the two volumes of his book Responsa VaYomer Yitzchak (Livorno, 1876). He passed away at the age of 93 as Shabbat was entering, while reciting Mizmor Shir LeYom HaShabbat.
R. Yitzchak Ben Walid was renowned amongst Moroccan Jews as a holy man and wonder-worker, and even after his passing, he was famous for the great salvations which occurred in his merit. His holy staff helped barren women conceive and healed the sick. There is a longstanding tradition of visiting his gravesite on the anniversary of his passing, and this day is commemorated throughout the world.
R. Vidal Israel, whose signature also appears on this ketubah, was a leading Tétouan Torah scholar, and served as dayan alongside R. Yitzchak ben Walid. He is mentioned on the certificate of rabbinic appointment of R. Yitzchak ben Walid as one of the leading rabbis appointing him to this position.
40.5X29 cm. Good condition. Minor defects and creases. Stains. Tiny holes. Ink smudging and losses to paint in a few places.
Ink on parchment; oil paint.
Decorated ketubah; the text is framed by a fine Moorish arch, surrounded by foliate ornaments in tones of green and orange. The arch is flanked by two birds, and surmounted by the traditional blessing "BeSimna Tava...". The ketubah is topped with a cornice decorated with diamond shapes filled with foliage.
Witnesses' signatures at the foot of the ketubah: R. Yitzchak ben Walid Rabbi of the city, and R. Vidal Israel – a local dayan.
R. Yitzchak Ben Walid (1777-1870), chief rabbi of Tétouan and leading kabbalist in Morocco. Renowned as a holy man and wonder-worker. Already in his youth, he stood out for his purity, holiness and asceticism. He was the disciple of two Moroccan Torah leaders, R. Menachem Nahon and R. Moshe HaLevy. After the passing of R. Moshe HaLevy, he was asked by the Tétouan community to succeed him as rabbi of the city. He initially refused, and fled to Gibraltar to avoid having to assume this position, yet after his hideout was discovered, he eventually acceded to the pleas of the community rabbis and accepted the position. R. Yitzchak Ben Walid was known as a leading halachic authority, and many halachic questions were sent to him from throughout Morocco and even other countries. His responsa were published in the two volumes of his book Responsa VaYomer Yitzchak (Livorno, 1876). He passed away at the age of 93 as Shabbat was entering, while reciting Mizmor Shir LeYom HaShabbat.
R. Yitzchak Ben Walid was renowned amongst Moroccan Jews as a holy man and wonder-worker, and even after his passing, he was famous for the great salvations which occurred in his merit. His holy staff helped barren women conceive and healed the sick. There is a longstanding tradition of visiting his gravesite on the anniversary of his passing, and this day is commemorated throughout the world.
R. Vidal Israel, whose signature also appears on this ketubah, was a leading Tétouan Torah scholar, and served as dayan alongside R. Yitzchak ben Walid. He is mentioned on the certificate of rabbinic appointment of R. Yitzchak ben Walid as one of the leading rabbis appointing him to this position.
40.5X29 cm. Good condition. Minor defects and creases. Stains. Tiny holes. Ink smudging and losses to paint in a few places.
Category
Graphic Art, Drawings, Jewish Ceremonial Art and Various Objects
Catalogue
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $12,000
Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000
Sold for: $30,000
Including buyer's premium
Mahzor (prayer book) for regular use during the entire year, according to the Italian ("Italiani") rite. Venice, [1772]. Two parts in one volume, with ornate silver binding bearing emblem of the Pugliese family.
Front and back binding with cartouches and scrolling acanthus leaves as decorative elements; the front cartouche contains the Pugliese family emblem – a house with a spiraling chimney. The back cartouche remains blank. Spine with vegetal patterns.
A Pugliese family emblem, similar to the one on the present binding, has also been documented on a ketubah (marriage contract) from Casale Monferrato in the Piedmont region of Italy, dated 1672, now in the collection of the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) of America, KET 32. Another ketubah originating from the same place, dated 1756, also bears a Pugliese family emblem, albeit slightly different from the others insofar as it features a house with flames erupting through the doorway (see "Il matrimonio ebraico, le ketubbot dell'Archivio Terracini, a cura di Micaela Vitale, " Torino, 1997, p. 164). A third ketubah relevant to this subject, also from the JTS collection (KET 333), drawn in Mantua, Italy, and dated 1865, documents the marriage of a son of the Pugliese family to a daugher of the Segre family (see below). A faded ownership notation on the flyleaf opposite the title page, dating from the 19th century, gives the name " Elisa Ottolenghi Segre"; in all likelihood, this is the signature of Elisa (Leah) Ottolenghi née Segre (d. 1922), wife of Giuseppe Ottolenghi (1838-1904), a Jewish Italian politician and army officer who served as a senator and as the Italian government's minister of war, and also held a number of high-ranking military positions.
Binding: Silver (unmarked), repoussé and engraved. Height: 18 cm. Width: 13.5 cm. Spine width: 6 cm. Good condition. Silver clasps, head cap and tail cap may have been replaced in the 19th century.
Prayer book: 224 [i. e. 284] ff; 322 ff. Stains. Minor creases. Minor worming and few tears (with minor damage to text). Detached leaf and several loose leaves. Margins of two final leaves reinforced with paper strips.
For an additional binding bearing the Pugliese family emblem, see: Sotheby's, Important Judaica, New York, 20 December 2017, lot 86.
Front and back binding with cartouches and scrolling acanthus leaves as decorative elements; the front cartouche contains the Pugliese family emblem – a house with a spiraling chimney. The back cartouche remains blank. Spine with vegetal patterns.
A Pugliese family emblem, similar to the one on the present binding, has also been documented on a ketubah (marriage contract) from Casale Monferrato in the Piedmont region of Italy, dated 1672, now in the collection of the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) of America, KET 32. Another ketubah originating from the same place, dated 1756, also bears a Pugliese family emblem, albeit slightly different from the others insofar as it features a house with flames erupting through the doorway (see "Il matrimonio ebraico, le ketubbot dell'Archivio Terracini, a cura di Micaela Vitale, " Torino, 1997, p. 164). A third ketubah relevant to this subject, also from the JTS collection (KET 333), drawn in Mantua, Italy, and dated 1865, documents the marriage of a son of the Pugliese family to a daugher of the Segre family (see below). A faded ownership notation on the flyleaf opposite the title page, dating from the 19th century, gives the name " Elisa Ottolenghi Segre"; in all likelihood, this is the signature of Elisa (Leah) Ottolenghi née Segre (d. 1922), wife of Giuseppe Ottolenghi (1838-1904), a Jewish Italian politician and army officer who served as a senator and as the Italian government's minister of war, and also held a number of high-ranking military positions.
Binding: Silver (unmarked), repoussé and engraved. Height: 18 cm. Width: 13.5 cm. Spine width: 6 cm. Good condition. Silver clasps, head cap and tail cap may have been replaced in the 19th century.
Prayer book: 224 [i. e. 284] ff; 322 ff. Stains. Minor creases. Minor worming and few tears (with minor damage to text). Detached leaf and several loose leaves. Margins of two final leaves reinforced with paper strips.
For an additional binding bearing the Pugliese family emblem, see: Sotheby's, Important Judaica, New York, 20 December 2017, lot 86.
Category
Graphic Art, Drawings, Jewish Ceremonial Art and Various Objects
Catalogue
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $18,000
Estimate: $50,000 - $70,000
Sold for: $325,000
Including buyer's premium
Spice container, designed as a three-tiered tower ornamented with miniature figures depicting the customs of the Havdalah ceremony. Galicia or Austro-Hungary, [ca. 1800].
Silver; filigree, cast and parcel-gilt.
Spice container, composed of a hexagonal base resting on claw and ball feet. The main part of the container, also hexagonal, opens with a hinged-door and bolt. The container is surrounded by a balcony manned by six figures: two figures of guards (one of them holding the chain of the door in its left hand), and four figures depicting the customs of the Havdalah ceremony: a figure holding a goblet of wine, a figure holding a spice container (tower-shaped, with a pointed top), a figure with its hand stretched forward (to study its nails during the blessing over the fire) and an additional figure, which presumably originally held a Havdalah candle (ornament lacking). Six small flags fly from the six upper corners. The two upper tiers are designed as a bell-tower, topped with an onion dome surmounted by a knop with a flag on a mast.
Tower-shaped spice containers were often inspired by the town hall tower in their city of origin; evidence of such containers date back to the 16th century. Once spice containers took an architectural form, artists started using other elements associated with actual European towers in their designs: flags, clocks, tile roofs, domes, gates and armed guards (who manned these edifices). In time, figures with Jewish characteristics joined these guards, and so, beside guards armed with rifles, shields or clubs, spice containers would also feature figures with Jewish characteristics, such as musicians with blowing horns, men holding attributes associated with the Shabbat or other festivals, or, as in the present tower, figures representing the customs of the Havdalah ceremony.
Filigree spice containers of similar architectural design are found in several museum collections, such as the Jewish Museum London (no. JM 413; without figures) and the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam (no. M000144; with musicians).
As for the miniature figures on the spice containers, while they were usually dressed to match contemporary conventions, their quality of craftsmanship varies; in this aspect, the Jewish figures featured in the present spice container are similar to their counterparts on a German 18th century spice container, made by Hamburg silversmith Johann Friedrich Wiese (see Gutmann no. 32). The guard figures resemble one such figure in another German container, dating to the 16th century, which was held in the Kassel museum collection but has since been lost (see Towers of Spices, image V). A slightly taller container, the figures on which are identical to those on the present container, is found in the New York Jewish Museum collection (no. JM 19-57).
Height: 28 cm. Overall good condition. Slightly tilted. One figure lacking ornament. A bell may be missing from the top tier. Minor damage. Soldering repairs.
For similar items, see:
• Towers of Spices: The Tower-shape Tradition in Havdalah Spice-boxes (The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1982), nos. 65-68. V, XIX.
• Joseph Gutmann, Jewish Ceremonial Art (New York, 1964), nos. 32-33.
• Paul Spiegel, Eine gute Woche!, Jüdische Türme aus Schwäbisch Gmünd (Schwäbisch Gmünd, 2001), no. 46.
• The Jewish Museum London, nos. JM 413, C1985.1.2.
• The Stieglitz Collection: masterpieces of Jewish art (The Israel Museum, 1987), nos. 60-61, 68.
Silver; filigree, cast and parcel-gilt.
Spice container, composed of a hexagonal base resting on claw and ball feet. The main part of the container, also hexagonal, opens with a hinged-door and bolt. The container is surrounded by a balcony manned by six figures: two figures of guards (one of them holding the chain of the door in its left hand), and four figures depicting the customs of the Havdalah ceremony: a figure holding a goblet of wine, a figure holding a spice container (tower-shaped, with a pointed top), a figure with its hand stretched forward (to study its nails during the blessing over the fire) and an additional figure, which presumably originally held a Havdalah candle (ornament lacking). Six small flags fly from the six upper corners. The two upper tiers are designed as a bell-tower, topped with an onion dome surmounted by a knop with a flag on a mast.
Tower-shaped spice containers were often inspired by the town hall tower in their city of origin; evidence of such containers date back to the 16th century. Once spice containers took an architectural form, artists started using other elements associated with actual European towers in their designs: flags, clocks, tile roofs, domes, gates and armed guards (who manned these edifices). In time, figures with Jewish characteristics joined these guards, and so, beside guards armed with rifles, shields or clubs, spice containers would also feature figures with Jewish characteristics, such as musicians with blowing horns, men holding attributes associated with the Shabbat or other festivals, or, as in the present tower, figures representing the customs of the Havdalah ceremony.
Filigree spice containers of similar architectural design are found in several museum collections, such as the Jewish Museum London (no. JM 413; without figures) and the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam (no. M000144; with musicians).
As for the miniature figures on the spice containers, while they were usually dressed to match contemporary conventions, their quality of craftsmanship varies; in this aspect, the Jewish figures featured in the present spice container are similar to their counterparts on a German 18th century spice container, made by Hamburg silversmith Johann Friedrich Wiese (see Gutmann no. 32). The guard figures resemble one such figure in another German container, dating to the 16th century, which was held in the Kassel museum collection but has since been lost (see Towers of Spices, image V). A slightly taller container, the figures on which are identical to those on the present container, is found in the New York Jewish Museum collection (no. JM 19-57).
Height: 28 cm. Overall good condition. Slightly tilted. One figure lacking ornament. A bell may be missing from the top tier. Minor damage. Soldering repairs.
For similar items, see:
• Towers of Spices: The Tower-shape Tradition in Havdalah Spice-boxes (The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1982), nos. 65-68. V, XIX.
• Joseph Gutmann, Jewish Ceremonial Art (New York, 1964), nos. 32-33.
• Paul Spiegel, Eine gute Woche!, Jüdische Türme aus Schwäbisch Gmünd (Schwäbisch Gmünd, 2001), no. 46.
• The Jewish Museum London, nos. JM 413, C1985.1.2.
• The Stieglitz Collection: masterpieces of Jewish art (The Israel Museum, 1987), nos. 60-61, 68.
Category
Graphic Art, Drawings, Jewish Ceremonial Art and Various Objects
Catalogue
![Hanukkah lamp of Rabbi Yonah Sa'adiah Navon of Jerusalem. [Jerusalem, 19th century].
Sheet brass, sawed and repoussé](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale83a-public/86_1.JPG "\"Hanukkah Lamp of Our Rabbi Navon\" – Collapsible Hanukkah Lamp of Rabb")
![Hanukkah lamp of Rabbi Yonah Sa'adiah Navon of Jerusalem. [Jerusalem, 19th century].
Sheet brass, sawed and repoussé](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale83a-public/86_2.JPG "\"Hanukkah Lamp of Our Rabbi Navon\" – Collapsible Hanukkah Lamp of Rabb")
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $1,500
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000
Sold for: $1,875
Including buyer's premium
Hanukkah lamp of Rabbi Yonah Sa'adiah Navon of Jerusalem. [Jerusalem, 19th century].
Sheet brass, sawed and repoussé.
Large collapsible Hanukkah lamp, intended to be hung on a wall. A number of different decorative elements appear on the back plate: A Star of David enclosing small circles, two large, eye-shaped circles (with pupil-like bosses in the center), and two large upright fish. Repoussé inscriptions (executed with a nail): " For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light" / "Yonah Sa'adiah also known as Our Teacher Navon may the Almighty keep him and preserve him." Attached to the lower part of the back plate, by means of two hinges, is a rectangular shelf out of which eight large circular holes have been pierced, to hold glass oil lamps. The hinges enable the shelf to be collapsed upward.
This particular Hanukkah lamp – named for its owner as the "Hanukkah lamp of Our Rabbi Navon" – was studied by Yitzhak Einhorn. He mentions and lists it (along with a photograph) in the Israel Museum (Hebrew) catalogue titled "Arts and Crafts in 19th Century Palestine, " in his article on sacred and secular objects originating in the Old Yishuv in Jerusalem. In this article, Einhorn deals at length with questions regarding the identity of the lamp's owner; its purpose and manner of usage (as a Hanukkah lamp intended to serve a "Shadar" [rabbinical emissary sent to collect charity funds] in the course of his travels); and the artistic motifs that appear on the back plate (among them the repoussé "eyes, " totaling eighteen in number – including the ones enclosed within the fish-like ornaments) which he interprets as amuletic symbols offering protection against the Evil Eye.
It is worth noting that, notwithstanding Einhorn's opinion that the Hanukkah lamp belonged to a particular rabbinical emissary by the name of Rabbi Yonah Sa'adiah Navon – who had been sent to North Africa by Jerusalem's Kollel associations (i.e. landsmanschaftn – hometown associations) ca. 1802, and then again by the Kollel associations of Hebron in 1811/1812 – it is more plausible that the object was actually the property of Rabbi Yonah Sa'adiah Navon "the Second" who lived in Jerusalem in the years 1839-1909. This latter theory also casts doubt on the specific identification of this particular type of Hanukkah lamp as a "rabbinical emissary's Hanukkah lamp, " meant to serve emissaries during their travels. Also relevant to this subject is Shalom Sabar's (Hebrew) article, "From the miracle of the pitcher of olive oil to the butt of a rifle: the evolution of the Hanukkah lamp in Israel, " in: "Te'udah" 28, 2016-17, p. 421, footnote no. 14.
With reference to the biography of Rabbi Yonah Sa'adiah Navon – also known as Rabbi "Hermon" (an acronym composed of the Hebrew initials of his titles and name, "Hakham Rabbi Our [Great] Teacher Navon") – in his (Hebrew) work entitled "Oriental Jews in the Land of Israel in the Past and Present" (see below), Moses David Gaon writes that the rabbi in question was born in Jerusalem in 1838-39, and was the grandson of the Rishon LeZion (Chief Sephardi Rabbi of the Land of Israel) Rabbi Yonah Moshe Navon, as well as the sole heir of Rabbi Binyamin Mordechai Navon, author of the (Hebrew) book "Bnei Binyamin" and stepfather of Rabbi Ya'akov Shaul Elyashar, also known as the Yisa Berakhah. Rabbi Yonah Sa'adiah Navon served for about thirty consecutive years as clerks of Jerusalem's Kollel associations, charity "gabbai" (administrator), and supervisor in charge of cemetery affairs and the "Hevra Kadisha" (burial society) of the Sephardi community. He also officiated for many years as cantor of the congregation of the "Middle Synagogue" in Jerusalem's Old City. Passed away in May 1909, buried on the Mt. of Olives. His epitaph reads "Yonah Sa'adiah [also] known as Our Teacher Navon, " thus matching the inscription appearing on the present Hanukkah lamp.
Height: 23 cm. Width: 47 cm. Depth: 8 cm. Overall good condition. Warping. Minor blemishes. Old soldering repairs. Servant light missing. Missing chains or folding arms originally connecting oil font shelf to back plate.
References:
1. Yona Fischer (ed.), "Arts and Crafts in 19th Century Palestine, " Israel Museum catalogue, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1979 (Hebrew), pp. 29-33, Fig. 13.
2. Mordechai Narkiss, "The Hanukkah Lamp, " Jerusalem, 1939 (Hebrew with English summary), p. 69; Pl. LVII, Item no. 162.
3. Moses David Gaon, "Oriental Jews in the Land of Israel in the Past and Present, " Vol. II, Jerusalem, 1938 (Hebrew), pp. 453-54.
Provenance:
1. The Yitzhak Einhorn Collection.
2. Private collection.
Sheet brass, sawed and repoussé.
Large collapsible Hanukkah lamp, intended to be hung on a wall. A number of different decorative elements appear on the back plate: A Star of David enclosing small circles, two large, eye-shaped circles (with pupil-like bosses in the center), and two large upright fish. Repoussé inscriptions (executed with a nail): " For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light" / "Yonah Sa'adiah also known as Our Teacher Navon may the Almighty keep him and preserve him." Attached to the lower part of the back plate, by means of two hinges, is a rectangular shelf out of which eight large circular holes have been pierced, to hold glass oil lamps. The hinges enable the shelf to be collapsed upward.
This particular Hanukkah lamp – named for its owner as the "Hanukkah lamp of Our Rabbi Navon" – was studied by Yitzhak Einhorn. He mentions and lists it (along with a photograph) in the Israel Museum (Hebrew) catalogue titled "Arts and Crafts in 19th Century Palestine, " in his article on sacred and secular objects originating in the Old Yishuv in Jerusalem. In this article, Einhorn deals at length with questions regarding the identity of the lamp's owner; its purpose and manner of usage (as a Hanukkah lamp intended to serve a "Shadar" [rabbinical emissary sent to collect charity funds] in the course of his travels); and the artistic motifs that appear on the back plate (among them the repoussé "eyes, " totaling eighteen in number – including the ones enclosed within the fish-like ornaments) which he interprets as amuletic symbols offering protection against the Evil Eye.
It is worth noting that, notwithstanding Einhorn's opinion that the Hanukkah lamp belonged to a particular rabbinical emissary by the name of Rabbi Yonah Sa'adiah Navon – who had been sent to North Africa by Jerusalem's Kollel associations (i.e. landsmanschaftn – hometown associations) ca. 1802, and then again by the Kollel associations of Hebron in 1811/1812 – it is more plausible that the object was actually the property of Rabbi Yonah Sa'adiah Navon "the Second" who lived in Jerusalem in the years 1839-1909. This latter theory also casts doubt on the specific identification of this particular type of Hanukkah lamp as a "rabbinical emissary's Hanukkah lamp, " meant to serve emissaries during their travels. Also relevant to this subject is Shalom Sabar's (Hebrew) article, "From the miracle of the pitcher of olive oil to the butt of a rifle: the evolution of the Hanukkah lamp in Israel, " in: "Te'udah" 28, 2016-17, p. 421, footnote no. 14.
With reference to the biography of Rabbi Yonah Sa'adiah Navon – also known as Rabbi "Hermon" (an acronym composed of the Hebrew initials of his titles and name, "Hakham Rabbi Our [Great] Teacher Navon") – in his (Hebrew) work entitled "Oriental Jews in the Land of Israel in the Past and Present" (see below), Moses David Gaon writes that the rabbi in question was born in Jerusalem in 1838-39, and was the grandson of the Rishon LeZion (Chief Sephardi Rabbi of the Land of Israel) Rabbi Yonah Moshe Navon, as well as the sole heir of Rabbi Binyamin Mordechai Navon, author of the (Hebrew) book "Bnei Binyamin" and stepfather of Rabbi Ya'akov Shaul Elyashar, also known as the Yisa Berakhah. Rabbi Yonah Sa'adiah Navon served for about thirty consecutive years as clerks of Jerusalem's Kollel associations, charity "gabbai" (administrator), and supervisor in charge of cemetery affairs and the "Hevra Kadisha" (burial society) of the Sephardi community. He also officiated for many years as cantor of the congregation of the "Middle Synagogue" in Jerusalem's Old City. Passed away in May 1909, buried on the Mt. of Olives. His epitaph reads "Yonah Sa'adiah [also] known as Our Teacher Navon, " thus matching the inscription appearing on the present Hanukkah lamp.
Height: 23 cm. Width: 47 cm. Depth: 8 cm. Overall good condition. Warping. Minor blemishes. Old soldering repairs. Servant light missing. Missing chains or folding arms originally connecting oil font shelf to back plate.
References:
1. Yona Fischer (ed.), "Arts and Crafts in 19th Century Palestine, " Israel Museum catalogue, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1979 (Hebrew), pp. 29-33, Fig. 13.
2. Mordechai Narkiss, "The Hanukkah Lamp, " Jerusalem, 1939 (Hebrew with English summary), p. 69; Pl. LVII, Item no. 162.
3. Moses David Gaon, "Oriental Jews in the Land of Israel in the Past and Present, " Vol. II, Jerusalem, 1938 (Hebrew), pp. 453-54.
Provenance:
1. The Yitzhak Einhorn Collection.
2. Private collection.
Category
Graphic Art, Drawings, Jewish Ceremonial Art and Various Objects
Catalogue
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $500
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000
Unsold
Velvet cover of the table which served R. Ovadia Yosef during his famous broadcast address in the Yazdim synagogue.
Red velvet; gilt embroidery. Inscriptions: " The righteous one flourishes like a palm"; "Address of R. Ovadia Yosef, Rishon LeTzion and president of Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, delivered at the Tiferet Yerushalayim central synagogue of the Yazdim community…"; "The King in His beauty shall your eyes behold" (and other inscriptions).
The beloved, weekly address of R. Ovadia Yosef took place every Saturday night, for decades, in the Tiferet Yerushalayim LeAdat HaYazdim synagogue (known as the Yazdim synagogue) in the Bucharim neighborhood, Jerusalem, and was broadcasted live to thousands of listeners at various locations in Israel and worldwide. This was the first Torah class to be electronically broadcasted. Many synagogues throughout Eretz Israel and worldwide installed systems for receiving satellite broadcasts, especially for the purpose of viewing R. Ovadia Yosef's weekly address. The latter's public influence increased greatly due to the broadcast addresses, through which thousands of Jews had the merit of seeing him and absorbing his teachings, on a weekly basis. R. Ovadia Yosef used the address to imbue in his listeners the pride of uncompromising observance of halachah and sending the youth to Torah schools and yeshivot. His addresses occasionally received publicity in the media, due to his sharp remarks on politics and current affairs.
The present cover was prepared especially in honor of R. Ovadia, and was laid on the table he sat by while delivering his address. This cover was in use in his final years at the Yazdim synagogue (until he began delivering the weekly address from his synagogue in Har Nof, due to his failing health). After his passing, his son R. Yitzchak Yosef succeeded him in delivering the weekly address at the Yazdim synagogue (a similar cover was then prepared for R. Yitzchak Yosef, see enclosed material).
Approx. 45X155X70 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Minor defects.
Red velvet; gilt embroidery. Inscriptions: " The righteous one flourishes like a palm"; "Address of R. Ovadia Yosef, Rishon LeTzion and president of Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, delivered at the Tiferet Yerushalayim central synagogue of the Yazdim community…"; "The King in His beauty shall your eyes behold" (and other inscriptions).
The beloved, weekly address of R. Ovadia Yosef took place every Saturday night, for decades, in the Tiferet Yerushalayim LeAdat HaYazdim synagogue (known as the Yazdim synagogue) in the Bucharim neighborhood, Jerusalem, and was broadcasted live to thousands of listeners at various locations in Israel and worldwide. This was the first Torah class to be electronically broadcasted. Many synagogues throughout Eretz Israel and worldwide installed systems for receiving satellite broadcasts, especially for the purpose of viewing R. Ovadia Yosef's weekly address. The latter's public influence increased greatly due to the broadcast addresses, through which thousands of Jews had the merit of seeing him and absorbing his teachings, on a weekly basis. R. Ovadia Yosef used the address to imbue in his listeners the pride of uncompromising observance of halachah and sending the youth to Torah schools and yeshivot. His addresses occasionally received publicity in the media, due to his sharp remarks on politics and current affairs.
The present cover was prepared especially in honor of R. Ovadia, and was laid on the table he sat by while delivering his address. This cover was in use in his final years at the Yazdim synagogue (until he began delivering the weekly address from his synagogue in Har Nof, due to his failing health). After his passing, his son R. Yitzchak Yosef succeeded him in delivering the weekly address at the Yazdim synagogue (a similar cover was then prepared for R. Yitzchak Yosef, see enclosed material).
Approx. 45X155X70 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Minor defects.
Category
Graphic Art, Drawings, Jewish Ceremonial Art and Various Objects
Catalogue
![Six personal seals, carved in stone and brass. [Jerusalem and Morocco, late 19th and early 20th century].
1-4. Four oval se](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale83a-public/88_1.JPG "Six Personal Seals – Jerusalem and Morocco")
![Six personal seals, carved in stone and brass. [Jerusalem and Morocco, late 19th and early 20th century].
1-4. Four oval se](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale83a-public/88_2.jpg "Six Personal Seals – Jerusalem and Morocco")
![Six personal seals, carved in stone and brass. [Jerusalem and Morocco, late 19th and early 20th century].
1-4. Four oval se](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale83a-public/88_3.JPG "Six Personal Seals – Jerusalem and Morocco")
![Six personal seals, carved in stone and brass. [Jerusalem and Morocco, late 19th and early 20th century].
1-4. Four oval se](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale83a-public/88_4.jpg "Six Personal Seals – Jerusalem and Morocco")
![Six personal seals, carved in stone and brass. [Jerusalem and Morocco, late 19th and early 20th century].
1-4. Four oval se](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale83a-public/88_5.JPG "Six Personal Seals – Jerusalem and Morocco")
![Six personal seals, carved in stone and brass. [Jerusalem and Morocco, late 19th and early 20th century].
1-4. Four oval se](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale83a-public/88_6.jpg "Six Personal Seals – Jerusalem and Morocco")
![Six personal seals, carved in stone and brass. [Jerusalem and Morocco, late 19th and early 20th century].
1-4. Four oval se](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale83a-public/88_7.jpg "Six Personal Seals – Jerusalem and Morocco")
![Six personal seals, carved in stone and brass. [Jerusalem and Morocco, late 19th and early 20th century].
1-4. Four oval se](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale83a-public/88_8.jpg "Six Personal Seals – Jerusalem and Morocco")
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $3,000
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
Unsold
Six personal seals, carved in stone and brass. [Jerusalem and Morocco, late 19th and early 20th century].
1-4. Four oval seals. [Jerusalem].
• Carved carnelian seal, engraved: "Shaul Yitzchak Eliezer", with the name Shaul in Arabic, the initials SIE and the year 1315 [Hijri year = 1897]. 1.5X1.2 cm; handle: 3 cm.
• Carved carnelian seal, engraved: "Salah Yaakov MiRefael (?)", the name Salah in Arabic and the initials SJR. 1.5X1.4 cm; handle: 1.5 cm.
• Seal carved in a yellowish-white stone, engraved: "Yechezkel son of Yaakov", with a word in Arabic set in a drop shaped ornament. 2.3X1.8 cm; handle: 2.5 cm.
• Brass seal, engraved amongst other with the name: "Yosef Shalom son of R. Eliezer Abraham Hananya" and the year 1326 [Hijri year = 1908]. 2.2X1.5 cm.
For similar stamps, see: Jewish Tradition in Art: The Feuchtwanger Collection of Judaica, Dr. Isaiah Shachar (the Israel Museum, 1981), items 572-602, 662.
5. Oval brass seal, engraved: "Yehuda son of Rachamim". [Jerusalem?]. 2.2X1.5 cm; handle: 2.5 cm.
6. Octagonal brass seal, engraved: "David di Yitzchak Tangi". [Morocco]. 2 cm, with a long wooden handle, 9 cm.
1-4. Four oval seals. [Jerusalem].
• Carved carnelian seal, engraved: "Shaul Yitzchak Eliezer", with the name Shaul in Arabic, the initials SIE and the year 1315 [Hijri year = 1897]. 1.5X1.2 cm; handle: 3 cm.
• Carved carnelian seal, engraved: "Salah Yaakov MiRefael (?)", the name Salah in Arabic and the initials SJR. 1.5X1.4 cm; handle: 1.5 cm.
• Seal carved in a yellowish-white stone, engraved: "Yechezkel son of Yaakov", with a word in Arabic set in a drop shaped ornament. 2.3X1.8 cm; handle: 2.5 cm.
• Brass seal, engraved amongst other with the name: "Yosef Shalom son of R. Eliezer Abraham Hananya" and the year 1326 [Hijri year = 1908]. 2.2X1.5 cm.
For similar stamps, see: Jewish Tradition in Art: The Feuchtwanger Collection of Judaica, Dr. Isaiah Shachar (the Israel Museum, 1981), items 572-602, 662.
5. Oval brass seal, engraved: "Yehuda son of Rachamim". [Jerusalem?]. 2.2X1.5 cm; handle: 2.5 cm.
6. Octagonal brass seal, engraved: "David di Yitzchak Tangi". [Morocco]. 2 cm, with a long wooden handle, 9 cm.
Category
Graphic Art, Drawings, Jewish Ceremonial Art and Various Objects
Catalogue
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $3,500
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
Sold for: $4,375
Including buyer's premium
Thirteen personal seals of Samaritan religious leaders and of the Samaritan High Priest Ya'akov ben Aharon ben Shlomo. Engraved in metal (brass and various white metals). Palestine, mid-19th century and early decades of 20th century.
All seals bear inscriptions in Arabic (except for one which also bears a Hebrew inscription), giving the names of their owners, usually with the added titles "Kahen" (=priest) or "Al-Kahen" (=the priest), along with "Amran" and "Sadaka"; evidently, all the seals belonged to Samaritan priests. Most seals dated.
1. "Atuha (?) Al-Halak Abed Al-Halak 63" (probably 1263 Hijri [= 1847 CE]).
2. "Salam Ali Alamaran 85" (probably 1285 Hijri [= 1868 CE]).
3. "Ra'is Ruhi Ta'aifat Al-Samra" ["Spiritual Leader of the Samaritan Congregation"] Yakoub Haroun Al-Kahen 1297" (1297 Hijri [= 1880 CE]). This is the 120th High Priest of the Samaritan Community, Ya'akov ben Aharon ben Shlomo.
4. "Ishak Kahen 1313" (1313 Hijri [= 1895 CE]).
5. "Shukrallah [in Hebrew] / min (?) Ishak Shukrallah Kahen (?)."
6. "Shafiq Kahen 1321" (1321 Hijri [= 1903 CE]).
7. "Abda Amran Ha-Kohen 1328 (?)" (1328 Hijri [= 1910 CE]).
8. "Sadaka Kahen 328" (1328 Hijri [= 1910 CE]).
9. "Ibrahim A'i (?) 1334" (1334 Hijri [= 1916 CE]).
10. "Taufiq Kahen 1334" (1334 Hijri [= 1916 CE]).
11. "Ishak Sadaka Kahen 1336" (1336 Hijri [= 1918 CE].
12. "Abda Ishak Al-Kahen 1337" (1337 Hijri [= 1919 CE].
13. "Ghazal Al-Kahen 931" (probably 1931 CE).
Size varies, approx. 1X2 cm to approx. 1.5X2.5 cm; handles 2.4 cm to 4 cm in length. Condition varies, most in good condition.
All seals bear inscriptions in Arabic (except for one which also bears a Hebrew inscription), giving the names of their owners, usually with the added titles "Kahen" (=priest) or "Al-Kahen" (=the priest), along with "Amran" and "Sadaka"; evidently, all the seals belonged to Samaritan priests. Most seals dated.
1. "Atuha (?) Al-Halak Abed Al-Halak 63" (probably 1263 Hijri [= 1847 CE]).
2. "Salam Ali Alamaran 85" (probably 1285 Hijri [= 1868 CE]).
3. "Ra'is Ruhi Ta'aifat Al-Samra" ["Spiritual Leader of the Samaritan Congregation"] Yakoub Haroun Al-Kahen 1297" (1297 Hijri [= 1880 CE]). This is the 120th High Priest of the Samaritan Community, Ya'akov ben Aharon ben Shlomo.
4. "Ishak Kahen 1313" (1313 Hijri [= 1895 CE]).
5. "Shukrallah [in Hebrew] / min (?) Ishak Shukrallah Kahen (?)."
6. "Shafiq Kahen 1321" (1321 Hijri [= 1903 CE]).
7. "Abda Amran Ha-Kohen 1328 (?)" (1328 Hijri [= 1910 CE]).
8. "Sadaka Kahen 328" (1328 Hijri [= 1910 CE]).
9. "Ibrahim A'i (?) 1334" (1334 Hijri [= 1916 CE]).
10. "Taufiq Kahen 1334" (1334 Hijri [= 1916 CE]).
11. "Ishak Sadaka Kahen 1336" (1336 Hijri [= 1918 CE].
12. "Abda Ishak Al-Kahen 1337" (1337 Hijri [= 1919 CE].
13. "Ghazal Al-Kahen 931" (probably 1931 CE).
Size varies, approx. 1X2 cm to approx. 1.5X2.5 cm; handles 2.4 cm to 4 cm in length. Condition varies, most in good condition.
Category
Graphic Art, Drawings, Jewish Ceremonial Art and Various Objects
Catalogue
Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
November 23, 2021
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $1,000 - $2,000
Sold for: $3,750
Including buyer's premium
Ze'ev Raban (1890-1970), Judith and Holofernes.
Watercolor and ink on paper. Signed.
An additional representation of Judith and Holofernes by Ze'ev Raban appears on a card in a series of playing cards designed by the artist in the 1920s.
Approx. 28.5X39 cm. Good condition. Minor stains, mostly to edges of sheet. Dedication in French on verso, signed "Jean … Levy" and dated 1962.
Watercolor and ink on paper. Signed.
An additional representation of Judith and Holofernes by Ze'ev Raban appears on a card in a series of playing cards designed by the artist in the 1920s.
Approx. 28.5X39 cm. Good condition. Minor stains, mostly to edges of sheet. Dedication in French on verso, signed "Jean … Levy" and dated 1962.
Category
Graphic Art, Drawings, Jewish Ceremonial Art and Various Objects
Catalogue