Passover Haggadah. Prague: Gershom son of Shlomo HaKohen and his brother Gronem, 1526.
Incomplete copy of the famous Prague Haggadah (or the Gershom Kohen Haggadah) – the first illustrated Haggadah to be printed, one of the most beautiful printed Hebrew books, and one of the most sought after.
This Haggadah was printed by Gershom Katz and his brother Gronem, sons of Shlomo Katz, who also served as publishers; its printing was completed on December 30 (26th Tevet) 1526 (date following the Julian calendar then in use). The printers' names are mentioned alongside the Hebrew date of printing in the colophon at the end of the Haggadah, which is lacking in the present copy, as is Gershom Katz's printer's device that appeared at the top of the illustrated frame on p. [3b].
Printed without title page.
The Haggadah begins with the order of Bedikat Chametz – this page is framed in a fine woodcut, decorated with vegetal patterns, figures and various shapes (the present copy has Bedikat Chametz and the illustrated frame on the first page, due to the leaf being bound backwards; in the original, the first page of the leaf is blank, while the illustrated frame appears on the second page).
The Haggadah text is printed in a large square font of the Ashkenazic type, with Rafe marks. Bedikat Chametz, short marginal captions to some illustrations, a few instructions appearing within the Haggadah text and several other passages are printed in a smaller square font.
Some initial words include letters with a light background, incorporating illustrations of animals and various figures, and vegetal patterns.
Illustrations and Decorations in the Haggadah
The Prague Haggadah has achieved lasting renown for its impressive design and illustration, and would serve as a prototype for numerous illustrated Haggadah editions printed over the centuries to come.
The present copy includes two of three illustrated frames appearing in the Haggadah (lacking the frame on p. [3b] around KeHa Lachma Anya). The frame on the first leaf is decorated with vegetal patterns, figures and various shapes, with a discernible influence from early German Renaissance. The second frame in the present copy, the most impressive of all, appears on p. [25b], around Shefoch Chamatcha. This frame is designed in an impressive architectural style, comprising several figures: to the right is Adam, in the heroic style current among such artists as Albrecht Dürer and Hans Holbein, with an illustration of Samson lifting the gates of Gaza below; to the left is Eve, and below her is Judith carrying the head of Holophernes; next to her, within the frame and next to the text, is a small illustration of the Messiah riding a donkey; at the bottom of the frame is a shield bearing the image of a fork-tailed rampant lion, held by two mythical fur-laden savage men. To their left appears the letter Shin (this letter also features next to several small marginal illustrations in the Haggadah; several explanations have been proffered, but its meaning is not entirely clear).
Apart from the illustrated frames, dozens of illustrations are featured in the margins throughout the Haggadah (many repeated several times), sometimes with short captions. The present copy includes illustrations of the Four Sons; a father teaching his son; the new moon; Abraham crossing the Euphrates in a boat; the cities Pithom and Raamses; Pharaoh bathing in the blood of the male Hebrew babies; the casting of babies into the Nile; the Egyptians drowning in the sea; Moses taking the Children of Israel out of Egypt; a family seated around the table on the Seder night; and many other illustrations of various figures (some illustrations printed in a larger format, in the bottom margin of the page).
Signature on title page: "Lazzaro Vitta Fanno".
Incomplete copy. [26] leaves. Original: [38] leaves. Lacking 12 leaves: four leaves after first with illustrated frame ([2]-[5]; with photocopy replacements of these leaves on high-quality paper), and last eight leaves ([31]-[38]), with handwritten replacement on four other leaves (neat Italian square script, probably from 19th century; photocopy replacements of these eight leaves on high-quality paper also enclosed). First leaf bound backwards. 28.5 cm. Fair to fair-good condition. Stains, including dark food and wine stains (large stains to some leaves). Tears and open tears, affecting text and illustrations, repaired with paper filling, with handwritten and photocopy replacements (relatively large tears to leaves [1], [6] and [12], significantly affecting frame on first page and illustrations). Worming, affecting text and illustrations, mostly repaired with paper filling. Bottom edges of many leaves repaired and enlarged with paper filling. New leather binding.
Reference:
• Otzar HaHaggadot 7.
• Cecil Roth, HaHaggadah HaMetzuyeret ShebiDefus, Areshet, III (1961), pp. 7-11.
• Y. Tabori, Omanut HaDefus VehaTziyurim BeHaggadat Prague, Ohev Sefer, I (1987), pp. 13-21.
• Yosef Haim Yerushalmi, Haggadah and History, A Panorama in Facsimile of Five Centuries of the Printed Haggadah from the Collections of Harvard University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Philadelphia, 1975, pp. 30-37; plates 9-13.
• Charles Wengrov, Haggadah and Woodcut: An Introduction to the Passover Haggadah Completed by Gershom Cohen in Prague, Sunday, 26 Teveth, 5287 (Dec. 30, 1526), New York, Shulsinger Bros., 1967.
