Auction 102 Part 2 Rare and Important Items
![Chumash in decorated silver binding. [Amsterdam, early 18th century]. Silver, cast, pierced and engraved (unmarked); print on](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/137_1.jpg "Chumash in Decorated Silver Binding – Amsterdam, Early 18th Century")
![Chumash in decorated silver binding. [Amsterdam, early 18th century]. Silver, cast, pierced and engraved (unmarked); print on](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/137_2-web.jpg "Chumash in Decorated Silver Binding – Amsterdam, Early 18th Century")
![Chumash in decorated silver binding. [Amsterdam, early 18th century]. Silver, cast, pierced and engraved (unmarked); print on](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/137_3-web.jpg "Chumash in Decorated Silver Binding – Amsterdam, Early 18th Century")
Chumash in decorated silver binding. [Amsterdam, early 18th century]. Silver, cast, pierced and engraved (unmarked); print on paper; velvet-covered wood. Chumash, bound in a wooden cover overlaid with velvet, and enclosed in an elegant silver binding, pierced on front and back boards with identical symmetrical vegetal patterns, and on spine with matching symmetrical vegetal patterns. Also with pair of decorated silver buckles. Book: Chumash, with the Five Megillot and Haftarot. Amsterdam: Moses Mendes Coutinho, [1701]. With a separate title page for the Haftarot on leaf 501.
[1], 50, 53-138, 140-150; 451-540, 241-262 leaves. Lacking leaves 51-52, 139. 12.5 cm. Book block with gilt edges, (somewhat faded). Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Tears, including open tears, with damage to text, partly mended with paper. Cropped edges to book block, with damage to page titles in some places. Ownership inscriptions of Jacob Abraham Hahn on inside front flyleaf, and on page 479a (in Hebrew letters). Additional ownership inscription of Hahn’s appears on rear flyleaf: “Jacob Abraham Hahn” (in Latin letters). Silver binding: 12.5 cm. Overall good condition. Velvet cloth significantly worn and faded.
"Orden de las oraciones cotidianas, por estilo seguido y corriente, con las de Hanucah y Purim, y ayuno del solo"[siddur for the entire year, including holidays and special occasions], along with a calendar indicating new months and holidays, for the years 1705-1710. Amsterdam: Yshak de Cordova y a costa de Aharon Hisquiyah Querido, [1705]. Bound together with "Los cinco libros de la ley divina" [the Five Books of the Torah, along with Haftarot for the entire year], with a separate title page for the Haftarot. Amsterdam: Yshak de Cordova, [1705].
Siddur and Chumash with elegantly decorated title pages. Both were printed entirely in Spanish and were specifically intended for Marranos (conversos) and other members of Amsterdam’s Spanish-Portuguese Jewish communities. In the present copy, the calendar is attached to the end of the siddur, along with the table of contents for the siddur.
The two works are bound together in an elegant binding with four silver corner ornaments and a splendid pair of decorative silver buckles. Two matching silver ornaments serve as hinges connecting the front and back binding boards to the spine.
This binding is representative of a European bookbinding tradition – typically applied to bibles and prayer books – particularly prevalent in the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th centuries. This style of binding was not commonly applied to Jewish sacred books; where such examples do appear, they are mostly associated with communities of Spanish-Portuguese extraction in Amsterdam.
Siddur: [4], 9-464, 469-484; 32, [8] pages. Chumash: [2], 528 pages. Calendar: [8] pages. Approx. 15 cm. Good condition. Stains. Small tears to edges of several leaves, and small open tear, affecting text, to one leaf. Minor blemishes to binding, fracture to spine. Book block with gilt edges, and gauffering. Bookplate: “Ex Musaeo Hans Fürstenberg". Underneath this, a handwritten label bearing the title of the volume.
18th-Century German silver binding (Halle an der Saale, Germany, ca.1714) for a siddur, with the coat of arms of the Rothschild family and with the engraved initials of the owner's name: "B de R" – Betty de Rothschild, [ca. 1824].
Silver, cast, repoussé, pierced and cut; parcel-gilt; later engraving (clasp marked with three hallmarks: Halle (Saale) city mark, date-letter G [probably for 1714], partial maker's mark P over [I]F within a leaf).
The front and back panels of the binding, identical in design, are in a formal, baroque floral and strapwork pattern, with a small, tasseled canopy at the top, beneath which is a small conch, and near the bottom a valance; at the center is an oval boss within a floral frame. The boss on the front of the binding bears the initials "B de R" with crown on top, while that on the back panel bears the full coat of arms of the Rothschild family. The spine is decorated en suite. The pierced silver is backed by a gilt sheet, giving the whole a splendidly rich effect. At the top of both the front and back panels is a single loop, intended for a chain to suspend the book (chain missing).
The Rothschild Family Coat of Arms and Baroness Betty (Batiah) Salomon de Rothschild
The well-known coat of arms of the Rothschild family was officially established in 1822, thus it was certainly engraved on this binding after that year. The initials engraved on the front binding – combined with the fact that the siddur bound here was intended for a woman (see below) – lead to the conclusion that the initials refer to Baroness Betty (Batiah) Salomon de Rothschild (1805-1886), daughter of Salomon Mayer Rothschild, founder of the Rothschild bank branch in Vienna, and granddaughter of Mayer Anschel Rothschild, founder of the Rothschild banking family.
In 1824, Betty de Rothschild married in Frankfurt her uncle (her father's brother), James (Jacob) Mayer de Rothschild, founder of the French branch of the banking empire, and traveled with him to Paris. The present binding and siddur were apparently given to her as a wedding gift from her husband or her parents, following the tradition of the "Sivlonot" gift after engagement.
In Paris, Betty de Rothschild integrated into high society: she took private piano lessons with Frédéric Chopin, Heinrich Heine composed a poem about her beauty, Balzac dedicated one of his books to her and the painter Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres painted her portrait; furthermore, she maintained connections with politicians and nobility and conducted philanthropic activity. One of her sons, Edmond de Rothschild (1845-1934), became known as "the Baron Rothschild", "HaNadiv HaYadua"; in Eretz Israel the settlement Bat Shlomo was named after her and also the settlement
of Ekron, founded by the Baron Rothschild in 1883, changed its name to Mazkeret Batya in Betty's honor.
The Siddur
The binding is fitted with a year-round siddur according to the Western Ashkenazic rite, with Yiddish translation. Includes Psalms and supplications, with separate title pages. Amsterdam: Solomon Ben Joseph Proops, 1714.
This Siddur edition was designated for the use of women and was decorated with an engraved title page by Joannes Lamsvelt, depicting biblical heroines: Eve, Rebecca, Leah, Miriam, Deborah, and Hannah. At the bottom appears the Talmudic teaching: "In the merit of the righteous women, our Forefathers were redeemed from Egypt".
Binding: height: 18 cm, width: 12 cm, depth: 6 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Some warping. Original pastedowns, decorated with colorful floral patterns, worn and blemished.
Siddur: [1], 279; 136 leaves. 16.5 cm. Gilt and gauffered edges. Fair condition. Stains, including many dampstains. Several leaves detached and loose. Tears. Trimming, affecting text.
Enclosed is an expert opinion by Rafi Grafman (January 2000).
For silver hallmarks, see: Rosenberg, Der Goldschmiede Merkzeichen (1922-1928), Vol. 2, nos. 2306-2307, 2310-2311, 2325.
Provenance:
1. Ownership inscription on front flyleaf (German and Hebrew): Hirsch son of Abraham Segal (apparently, late 18th or early 19th century).
2. Baroness Betty von Rothschild (1805-1886), presumably given to her as a wedding gift upon her marriage to her uncle, James Mayer de Rothschild in 1824.
3. Alphonse (Mayer) James de Rothschild (1827-1905), son of the above.
4. Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild (1868-1949), son of the above.
5. Baroness Bethsabée (Batsheva) de Rothschild (1914-1999), daughter of the above.
6. Purchased from the estate of the above, Tel Aviv, 1999.
7. Private collection, London.
Certified by the Art Loss Register (ALR); certificate enclosed.
![Siddur in binding with silver ornaments. [Probably Germany, first half of 18th century].
Silver, cast, pierced and repoussé](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/140_1.jpg "Siddur for Women in Elegant Binding with Silver Ornaments – Germany, 1")
![Siddur in binding with silver ornaments. [Probably Germany, first half of 18th century].
Silver, cast, pierced and repoussé](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/140_10.jpg "Siddur for Women in Elegant Binding with Silver Ornaments – Germany, 1")
![Siddur in binding with silver ornaments. [Probably Germany, first half of 18th century].
Silver, cast, pierced and repoussé](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/140_3-web.jpg "Siddur for Women in Elegant Binding with Silver Ornaments – Germany, 1")
![Siddur in binding with silver ornaments. [Probably Germany, first half of 18th century].
Silver, cast, pierced and repoussé](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/140_4.jpg "Siddur for Women in Elegant Binding with Silver Ornaments – Germany, 1")
![Siddur in binding with silver ornaments. [Probably Germany, first half of 18th century].
Silver, cast, pierced and repoussé](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/140_7.jpg "Siddur for Women in Elegant Binding with Silver Ornaments – Germany, 1")
![Siddur in binding with silver ornaments. [Probably Germany, first half of 18th century].
Silver, cast, pierced and repoussé](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/140_8.jpg "Siddur for Women in Elegant Binding with Silver Ornaments – Germany, 1")
![Siddur in binding with silver ornaments. [Probably Germany, first half of 18th century].
Silver, cast, pierced and repoussé](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/140_9.jpg "Siddur for Women in Elegant Binding with Silver Ornaments – Germany, 1")
Siddur in binding with silver ornaments. [Probably Germany, first half of 18th century].
Silver, cast, pierced and repoussé (buckles bearing mark of eagle – probably German, from the 18th century – and maker’s mark: "HS"); print on paper; wood and leather.
Siddur in leather-coated wood binding. Binding boards adorned with silver ornaments (secured with rivets) with identical patterns on front and back. Adornments include: a large, symmetrical heart-shaped ornament at center, flanked on either side by a pair of heraldic, langued, rampant lions, and with vegetal patterns above and below; and four floral ornaments, each positioned halfway between each pair of floral/vegetal-patterned corner ornaments. Three plain, unpatterned silver belts, equally spaced, adorn the spine. Binding secured with matching pair of silver buckles with vegetal patterns.
The Siddur
The binding is fitted with a year-round siddur according to the Western Ashkenazic rite, with Yiddish translation. Includes Psalms and supplications, with separate title pages. Amsterdam: Solomon Ben Joseph Proops, 1730. This Siddur was designated for the use of women and was decorated with an engraved title page by Joannes Lamsvelt, depicting biblical heroines: Eve, Rebecca, Leah, Miriam, Deborah, and Hannah. At the bottom appears the Talmudic teaching: "In the merit of the righteous women, our Forefathers were redeemed from Egypt". Missing leaves 121-136 at end of volume, originally containing prayers of supplication, in a section also including its own title page.
[1], 279; 120 leaves. Without leaves 121-136, originally containing prayers of supplication. 18.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Wear. Tears, including open tears, many to first few leaves, affecting text, mended with paper (including title page). Several detached leaves. Leather and silver binding: 20 cm. Overall good condition. Tears to leather coating, mostly to edges and corners. Old fractures to buckles, mended with old soldering, showing signs of corrosion.
Year-round Ashkenazic rite siddur. Venice: Bragadin, "Printed upon the desire of the fine young man Gad son of the wealthy R. Shmuel Fua", 1749. Silver, cut, repoussé, and engraved; silver, cast and pierced (unmarked); print and engraving on paper. Uncommon siddur, beginning with unique engraving, in original leather binding dating from time of printing, and enclosed in elegant 18th-century silver binding. Front and back of silver binding with identical symmetrical design: at center, a large convex oval medallion encircled by a beaded necklace-like pattern; background surface filled with hatched pattern; above the medallion, a ribbon-like ornament; below, a pair of branches with leaves and flowers. Four corner ornaments in shape of sprays of flowers, with their leaves extending outward from the corners of the rectangular frame. Spine adorned with four large repeated flowerheads. Pair of buckles similarly adorned with flowerheads. Pair of silver ornaments, spanning width of book, soldered onto top and bottom of spine. An exquisite frontispiece engraving appears at the beginning of the siddur. It illustrates the three mitzvot pertaining to women: "challah" (kneaded dough offering), "niddah" (menstrual purity), and lighting the Sabbath lights. All human figures in the engraving are portrayed in contemporary dress. The siddur also includes “a prayer for the sick customary of the societies of the Ashkenazi community of Venice” (pp. 293b-294a), and “Tefillat Yesharim – for each day of the seven days of the week… composed by R. Yehudah Aryeh of Modena” (leaves 296-300). The final leaves contain a table of contents; approbations in Italian and in Hebrew by the rabbis of Venice; and a list of books available for sale by Yitzchak Fua and Shlomo son of Moshe David Ashkenazi.
Siddur: [1] engraving; 315, [3] leaves., 18.3 cm. Good condition. Minor stains, mostly to first and last leaves. Creases to flyleaves. Last leaves protrude somewhat, with minor creases to edges. Front flyleaf partly detached. Binding: 19.4 cm. Good condition. Original leather binding, partly detached.
Machzor in magnificent silver binding. Rome, after 1815.
Silver, repoussé and engraved (marked several times with municipal mark of the city of Rome, in use beginning 1815, and diamond-shaped maker’s mark); print on paper; wood.
Machzor in heavy silver binding, repoussé on both sides with an identical symmetrical pattern featuring rich vegetal patterns, and, at center, a large cartouche in relief, bearing what is presumably a heraldic coat of arms (of an unidentified family): an eagle with a leaf in its beak. To the left and right of the eagle are the engraved initials G.A. Spine with matching pattern, consisting of one large flower and two half-flowers. Fancy pair of silver buckles.
Book: Year-round Italian rite machzor, Parts I and II. Venice: Bragadin, [1772]. Two parts of machzor in a single volume.
Part I: 224 [i.e. 284] leaves. Part II: 322 leaves. 17.5 cm. Fair condition. Numerous stains, including dampstains; considerable browning to some leaves. Wear and creases. Tears, including open tears, affecting text, some mended with paper and adhesive tape. New endpapers. Silver binding: 18.5 cm. Overall good condition. Minor blemishes to edges and buckles.
![Machzor in magnificent silver binding. [Probably Germany, 19th century]. Silver, repoussé, pierced, and engraved (unmarked);](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/143_1.jpg "Machzor in Elegant Silver Binding – Probably Germany, 19th Century")
![Machzor in magnificent silver binding. [Probably Germany, 19th century]. Silver, repoussé, pierced, and engraved (unmarked);](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/143_2.jpg "Machzor in Elegant Silver Binding – Probably Germany, 19th Century")
![Machzor in magnificent silver binding. [Probably Germany, 19th century]. Silver, repoussé, pierced, and engraved (unmarked);](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale102/143_3-web.jpg "Machzor in Elegant Silver Binding – Probably Germany, 19th Century")
Machzor in magnificent silver binding. [Probably Germany, 19th century]. Silver, repoussé, pierced, and engraved (unmarked); print on paper; clothbound cardboard. Machzor in original cloth binding, covered by an elegant silver binding, pierced on both sides with a symmetrical pattern (openwork) bearing rich vegetal motifs in the form of leaves, flowers, and twisting tendrils, encircling a round, convex medallion. The spine is adorned with a matching pattern. The round medallions at the centers of the binding boards are engraved with initials, probably those of the bride and groom, in Gothic script, "G.C." on the front board and "A.C." on the back. Book: Year-round Italian rite machzor, Part II, comprising the second part of the "Bnei Roma Machzor", compiled by the scholar Shadal, Samuel David Luzzatto. Livorno: Salomone Belforte & Co., [1856].
18 pages, 217 leaves. Approx. 21 cm. Book block with gilt, gauffered edges. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains, to numerous leaves; also including browning to title page and additional leaves. Several loose and detached leaves. Binding detached, along with several leaves at beginning and end of book. Silver binding: 22 cm. Overall good condition. Cloth cover worn. Buckle not original. Loose connections at hinges.