Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
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Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $500
Sold for: $625
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript, Tafsir of R. Saadya Gaon, Judeo-Arabic translation of the Torah, composed by R. Saadya Gaon. [Yemen, 18th/19th century and 20th century].
The manuscript is comprised of several manuscript parts scribed in different periods. Leaves [45-102] – script typical of ca. 18th century. Leaves [19-44], different hand, presumably completed at a slightly later date, ca. 19th century. Leaves [2-18; 103-106] are later additions [20th century]. It appears that the combined manuscript comprises the complete composition.
[2-106] leaves. 31 cm. Various types of paper. Condition varies. Overall fair condition. Wear and tears. Mold stains to some leaves. New binding.
It is rare to find a manuscript of this work as a book on its own. Tafsir of R. Saadia Gaon is usually included in Taj books of the Torah, in a separate column alongside the text of the Torah and Targum Onkelos.
The manuscript is comprised of several manuscript parts scribed in different periods. Leaves [45-102] – script typical of ca. 18th century. Leaves [19-44], different hand, presumably completed at a slightly later date, ca. 19th century. Leaves [2-18; 103-106] are later additions [20th century]. It appears that the combined manuscript comprises the complete composition.
[2-106] leaves. 31 cm. Various types of paper. Condition varies. Overall fair condition. Wear and tears. Mold stains to some leaves. New binding.
It is rare to find a manuscript of this work as a book on its own. Tafsir of R. Saadia Gaon is usually included in Taj books of the Torah, in a separate column alongside the text of the Torah and Targum Onkelos.
Category
Yemenite Jewry – Manuscripts and Letters
Catalogue
Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $500
Sold for: $625
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript, Midrash HaGadol, by R. David son of Amram al-Adeni. [Yemen, 16th/17th century].
Two incomplete manuscripts bound together. The first manuscript (leaves 1-7) contains part of the Book of Shemot, Torah portions Teruma – Ki Tisa (corresponding with p. 602, line 26 – p. 659, line 10 of the Mossad HaRav Kook edition). The second manuscript (leaves 8-57) contains sections of the Book of Devarim, Torah portions Re'eh – Ki Tetze, with some omissions (corresponding with p. 238, line 23 – p. 577, line 8 of the Mossad HaRav Kook edition).
Several marginal glosses.
[57] leaves. 28 cm. Fair condition. Stains, dampstains (some dark). Marginal tears and wear. Open tears to several leaves, affecting text. Worming, affecting text. New binding.
Two incomplete manuscripts bound together. The first manuscript (leaves 1-7) contains part of the Book of Shemot, Torah portions Teruma – Ki Tisa (corresponding with p. 602, line 26 – p. 659, line 10 of the Mossad HaRav Kook edition). The second manuscript (leaves 8-57) contains sections of the Book of Devarim, Torah portions Re'eh – Ki Tetze, with some omissions (corresponding with p. 238, line 23 – p. 577, line 8 of the Mossad HaRav Kook edition).
Several marginal glosses.
[57] leaves. 28 cm. Fair condition. Stains, dampstains (some dark). Marginal tears and wear. Open tears to several leaves, affecting text. Worming, affecting text. New binding.
Category
Yemenite Jewry – Manuscripts and Letters
Catalogue
Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $400
Sold for: $688
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript, Diwan – songs and piyyutim. [Yemen, ca. 19th century]. Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic.
Tall and narrow format.
[159] pages. 33.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains (dark stains and dampstains), tears and wear. Worming. Old binding.
Provenance: Mehlman Ms. 88.
Tall and narrow format.
[159] pages. 33.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains (dark stains and dampstains), tears and wear. Worming. Old binding.
Provenance: Mehlman Ms. 88.
Category
Yemenite Jewry – Manuscripts and Letters
Catalogue
Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $400
Sold for: $688
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript, three Megillot – Shir HaShirim, Ruth and Kohelet, with Targum and the Rashi commentary, and with Tikkun Leil Shavuot. [Yemen, ca. 19th century].
Neat Yemenite script, decorated in red ink. The manuscript begins with Shir HaShirim, followed by Tikkun Leil Shavuot, Megillat Ruth and Megillat Kohelet. Sublinear vocalization to Megillot and Tikkun, and supralinear vocalization to Targum. The Rashi commentary to Shir HaShirim is written at the end of the Megillah, consecutively. The Rashi commentary to Ruth and Kohelet is written beneath the text of the Megillah and Targum.
Ownership inscriptions on several leaves.
[110] leaves (one leaf of Shir HaShirim – chapter 5, erroneously bound in the middle of chapter 1). 16 cm. Good condition. Stains. Tears to several leaves, repaired. Open tear to corner of one leaf, affecting text. Worming. Old binding.
Neat Yemenite script, decorated in red ink. The manuscript begins with Shir HaShirim, followed by Tikkun Leil Shavuot, Megillat Ruth and Megillat Kohelet. Sublinear vocalization to Megillot and Tikkun, and supralinear vocalization to Targum. The Rashi commentary to Shir HaShirim is written at the end of the Megillah, consecutively. The Rashi commentary to Ruth and Kohelet is written beneath the text of the Megillah and Targum.
Ownership inscriptions on several leaves.
[110] leaves (one leaf of Shir HaShirim – chapter 5, erroneously bound in the middle of chapter 1). 16 cm. Good condition. Stains. Tears to several leaves, repaired. Open tear to corner of one leaf, affecting text. Worming. Old binding.
Category
Yemenite Jewry – Manuscripts and Letters
Catalogue
Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $300
Unsold
Manuscript, Haftarot for the entire year (for the weekly Torah portions, special Shabbatot and festivals), with Aramaic Targum, according to the Yemenite rite. [Yemen, ca. 19th century].
Yemenite script, vowelized. Bound with a title page of another manuscript of Haftarot, with a chronogram indicating the year 1892. With a calligraphic signature of "Avraham son of Suleiman [---]".
[115] leaves. 22.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, wear and tears. Worming. Several detached leaves. New binding.
Yemenite script, vowelized. Bound with a title page of another manuscript of Haftarot, with a chronogram indicating the year 1892. With a calligraphic signature of "Avraham son of Suleiman [---]".
[115] leaves. 22.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, wear and tears. Worming. Several detached leaves. New binding.
Category
Yemenite Jewry – Manuscripts and Letters
Catalogue
Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $500
Unsold
Two notebooks, comprising regulations and signed documents, accounts and copies of letters, from the leaders and rabbis of the community of Yemenite immigrants in Jerusalem. Jerusalem, 1892-1893, with account records until ca. 1899.
Early documents, from the early days of the founding of the main institutions supporting Torah study in the community: the Torat Moshe yeshiva (for study of Talmud and halachic literature), the Tehilla LeDavid society (for the recital of Psalms in a minyan by the Western Wall) and the Torah Or society supporting the boys' school of the community.
The first notebook contains the founding regulations of the society, recorded in 1892, with the signatures of the rabbis and community leaders: "…we wish with these lines, to inform all readers, that we, leaders of the Yemenite community whose signatures appear below, realized that our community has no Talmudic yeshiva in this country, unlike other respectable communities in Jerusalem… Therefore, we rose and gained strength, and set two important goals, one is [the establishment of] a yeshiva for the study of the Talmud and halachic literature every day… named the Torah Moshe yeshiva. The second is [the establishment of] the glorious society named Tehilla LeDavid, to stand before G-d in prayer and supplication… ten elders will complete the Five Books of Tehillim every single day… opposite the gates of Heaven, the Western Wall…".
The founding regulations are signed by 11 prominent members of the Yemenite community: "Saadia son of Shlomo Alnaddaf", "Aharon son of Aharon Hoter HaKohen", "Shalom son of Yosef HaLevi Alshech"; "Azriel son of Chaim Naddaf", "Yichye son of Yichye [Shi'tal] HaLevi"; "Shalom son of Chaim Naddaf"; "Saadya son Yosef Tzefira"; "Avraham son of R. Chaim Alnaddaf"; "Emmanuel son of Shalom Alnakash", "Chaim son of R. Sa'id [Saadia] Damti", "Yosef son of Shalom Sharafi".
Following the signatures is a commitment by the members of the Torat Moshe yeshiva to adhere to the set study programs, dated 28th Nissan 1893, with seven signatures and the stamp of the yeshiva.
The rest of the first notebook and the second notebook contain: account records, regulations, protocols and receipts signed by the leaders of the Yemenite community, copies of letters sent to donors and letters from donors (with the signatures of the wealthy members of the Bukharan community in Jerusalem, who were the main supporters of the impoverished Yemenite community).
Two notebooks. Approx. 83 written pages. Approx. 15-17 cm. Dry paper. Overall good condition. Stains and tears. New bindings.
Early documents, from the early days of the founding of the main institutions supporting Torah study in the community: the Torat Moshe yeshiva (for study of Talmud and halachic literature), the Tehilla LeDavid society (for the recital of Psalms in a minyan by the Western Wall) and the Torah Or society supporting the boys' school of the community.
The first notebook contains the founding regulations of the society, recorded in 1892, with the signatures of the rabbis and community leaders: "…we wish with these lines, to inform all readers, that we, leaders of the Yemenite community whose signatures appear below, realized that our community has no Talmudic yeshiva in this country, unlike other respectable communities in Jerusalem… Therefore, we rose and gained strength, and set two important goals, one is [the establishment of] a yeshiva for the study of the Talmud and halachic literature every day… named the Torah Moshe yeshiva. The second is [the establishment of] the glorious society named Tehilla LeDavid, to stand before G-d in prayer and supplication… ten elders will complete the Five Books of Tehillim every single day… opposite the gates of Heaven, the Western Wall…".
The founding regulations are signed by 11 prominent members of the Yemenite community: "Saadia son of Shlomo Alnaddaf", "Aharon son of Aharon Hoter HaKohen", "Shalom son of Yosef HaLevi Alshech"; "Azriel son of Chaim Naddaf", "Yichye son of Yichye [Shi'tal] HaLevi"; "Shalom son of Chaim Naddaf"; "Saadya son Yosef Tzefira"; "Avraham son of R. Chaim Alnaddaf"; "Emmanuel son of Shalom Alnakash", "Chaim son of R. Sa'id [Saadia] Damti", "Yosef son of Shalom Sharafi".
Following the signatures is a commitment by the members of the Torat Moshe yeshiva to adhere to the set study programs, dated 28th Nissan 1893, with seven signatures and the stamp of the yeshiva.
The rest of the first notebook and the second notebook contain: account records, regulations, protocols and receipts signed by the leaders of the Yemenite community, copies of letters sent to donors and letters from donors (with the signatures of the wealthy members of the Bukharan community in Jerusalem, who were the main supporters of the impoverished Yemenite community).
Two notebooks. Approx. 83 written pages. Approx. 15-17 cm. Dry paper. Overall good condition. Stains and tears. New bindings.
Category
Yemenite Jewry – Manuscripts and Letters
Catalogue
Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $500
Sold for: $10,000
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript, Yoreh Chata'im and Goralot (order of the chapters of the counsel of Achitofel). Aden (Yemen), 1906.
Neat script with calligraphic headings and title pages. Titles and some headings decorated in colored pencils.
Signatures of the writer, R. Meush (Moshe) Selim Banin, on the decorated title pages (the Banin family was a wealthy family of rabbis, leaders of the Aden community for several generations). At the beginning of the volume, signatures of the writer in English and Arabic, dated 1906.
Enclosed: A handwritten leaf, entitled "G-d save the Queen", with a poem in Hebrew and English in honor of the Queen of England: "G-d save our gracious Queen… O grant her long to see / Friendship and amity…" (Aden was at that time a British colony in Southern Yemen).
[3], 2-151 leaves. 20.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor worming. Old binding with leather spine.
Neat script with calligraphic headings and title pages. Titles and some headings decorated in colored pencils.
Signatures of the writer, R. Meush (Moshe) Selim Banin, on the decorated title pages (the Banin family was a wealthy family of rabbis, leaders of the Aden community for several generations). At the beginning of the volume, signatures of the writer in English and Arabic, dated 1906.
Enclosed: A handwritten leaf, entitled "G-d save the Queen", with a poem in Hebrew and English in honor of the Queen of England: "G-d save our gracious Queen… O grant her long to see / Friendship and amity…" (Aden was at that time a British colony in Southern Yemen).
[3], 2-151 leaves. 20.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor worming. Old binding with leather spine.
Category
Yemenite Jewry – Manuscripts and Letters
Catalogue
Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $300
Sold for: $600
Including buyer's premium
Five books printed in Aden, Yemen, 1893-1929.
1-2. Mekor Chaim, laws of Terefot by R. Yichye son of R. Yaakov Tzalach of Sanaa. Aden, [1893]. Bound with: Petach HaOhel, laws of Gittin, with laws of Kiddushin and Ketubot, by R. Yichye Amud. Aden, [1894].
In Mekor Chaim, many glosses in Yemenite script and large tears (affecting text); lacking several leaves.
3. Ilui HaNeshamot, study order for the elevation of the souls of the departed, following the Aden rite. Aden, [1902].
4. Chupat Chatanim, poems and piyyutim, by R. Shalom Shabazi. Aden, [1925].
5. Zemirot Yisrael, poems and piyyutim for Shabbat and Festivals. Aden, [1929]. Some piyyutim printed in Judeo-Arabic.
Five books in four volumes. Size and condition vary.
Until the late 19th century, for lack of a Hebrew printing press in Yemen, almost all work of Yemenite rabbis were copied by hand. The first press was established in 1891, in Aden (then under British rule). Only about twenty Hebrew books were printed there (see: Yaari, The Hebrew Press in Aden, in: HaDefus HaIvri BeArtzot HaMizrach, Jerusalem, 1937, pp. 86-91. Yaari records 13 titles printed in Aden).
1-2. Mekor Chaim, laws of Terefot by R. Yichye son of R. Yaakov Tzalach of Sanaa. Aden, [1893]. Bound with: Petach HaOhel, laws of Gittin, with laws of Kiddushin and Ketubot, by R. Yichye Amud. Aden, [1894].
In Mekor Chaim, many glosses in Yemenite script and large tears (affecting text); lacking several leaves.
3. Ilui HaNeshamot, study order for the elevation of the souls of the departed, following the Aden rite. Aden, [1902].
4. Chupat Chatanim, poems and piyyutim, by R. Shalom Shabazi. Aden, [1925].
5. Zemirot Yisrael, poems and piyyutim for Shabbat and Festivals. Aden, [1929]. Some piyyutim printed in Judeo-Arabic.
Five books in four volumes. Size and condition vary.
Until the late 19th century, for lack of a Hebrew printing press in Yemen, almost all work of Yemenite rabbis were copied by hand. The first press was established in 1891, in Aden (then under British rule). Only about twenty Hebrew books were printed there (see: Yaari, The Hebrew Press in Aden, in: HaDefus HaIvri BeArtzot HaMizrach, Jerusalem, 1937, pp. 86-91. Yaari records 13 titles printed in Aden).
Category
Yemenite Jewry – Manuscripts and Letters
Catalogue
Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $2,000
Unsold
Relazione curiosissima, ed insieme verissima del strano successo del preteso Messia degli Ebrei, il quale cagiono tanta commozione in quella Nazione, e termino poi farsi turco [A curious and at the same time true report of the surprising rise of the false messiah of the Jews…], by "Padre Beccaranda". Venice and Parma: Gozzi, [presumably, 1741 or 1742]. Italian.
A four-page booklet featuring a letter sent from Constantinople to Rome in order to announce Sabbatai Zevi's conversion to Islam.
This letter, which is considered one of the most important and earliest testimonies about Sabbatai Zevi's conversion, was presumably written as early as 1666 – several weeks after Sabbatai Zevi was imprisoned by the Ottoman authorities and converted to Islam. The letter, presumably distributed among the Jewish communities in an attempt to eradicate Sabbateanism, was printed in multiple editions throughout the 17th and 18th centuries (at least five editions were printed by 1667).
The author briefly introduces Sabbatai Zevi's history and then describes at length the events that led to his conversion to Islam. The author states that he was an eye-witness to the events in Constantinople (In the text there are several hints of the author's presence at the events narrated) and that he got his information regarding previous events from reliable people. The opening lines indicate that the letter was written in response to a question by another person, whose name is not mentioned ("I answer the question made to me by Your Lordship about what happened to the Jew, who had posed as the Messiah"). This edition was published without indication of date; presumably, it was published only in 1741 – approximately 75 years [!] after Sabbatai Zevi's convertion to Islam (possibly indicating that the struggle against the Sabbateans continued even in such a late period).
Although the author's full name is not indicated in any of the editions, this edition and some others mention the name "Padre Beccaranda", presumably referring to the Jesuit Jacques Becherand who lived in Constantinople between 1660 and 1667.
[1] leaf, folded in half (four printed pages), approx. 24.5 cm. (margins of varying width). Stains, fold lines and small tears. Open tears along edges and fold lines (small, slightly affecting text). Abrasions, slightly affecting text. Handwritten notation on top of the title page.
For additional information about this letter and its various editions, see: Between Information and Proselytism: Seventeenth-century Italian Texts on Sabbatai Zevi, by Stefano Villani (in Daat: A Journal of Jewish Philosophy & Kabbalah, issue 82, Ramat-Gan: Bar Ilan University, 2016).
From the estate of Prof. Shlomo Simonsohn.
A four-page booklet featuring a letter sent from Constantinople to Rome in order to announce Sabbatai Zevi's conversion to Islam.
This letter, which is considered one of the most important and earliest testimonies about Sabbatai Zevi's conversion, was presumably written as early as 1666 – several weeks after Sabbatai Zevi was imprisoned by the Ottoman authorities and converted to Islam. The letter, presumably distributed among the Jewish communities in an attempt to eradicate Sabbateanism, was printed in multiple editions throughout the 17th and 18th centuries (at least five editions were printed by 1667).
The author briefly introduces Sabbatai Zevi's history and then describes at length the events that led to his conversion to Islam. The author states that he was an eye-witness to the events in Constantinople (In the text there are several hints of the author's presence at the events narrated) and that he got his information regarding previous events from reliable people. The opening lines indicate that the letter was written in response to a question by another person, whose name is not mentioned ("I answer the question made to me by Your Lordship about what happened to the Jew, who had posed as the Messiah"). This edition was published without indication of date; presumably, it was published only in 1741 – approximately 75 years [!] after Sabbatai Zevi's convertion to Islam (possibly indicating that the struggle against the Sabbateans continued even in such a late period).
Although the author's full name is not indicated in any of the editions, this edition and some others mention the name "Padre Beccaranda", presumably referring to the Jesuit Jacques Becherand who lived in Constantinople between 1660 and 1667.
[1] leaf, folded in half (four printed pages), approx. 24.5 cm. (margins of varying width). Stains, fold lines and small tears. Open tears along edges and fold lines (small, slightly affecting text). Abrasions, slightly affecting text. Handwritten notation on top of the title page.
For additional information about this letter and its various editions, see: Between Information and Proselytism: Seventeenth-century Italian Texts on Sabbatai Zevi, by Stefano Villani (in Daat: A Journal of Jewish Philosophy & Kabbalah, issue 82, Ramat-Gan: Bar Ilan University, 2016).
From the estate of Prof. Shlomo Simonsohn.
Category
Italian Jewry – Manuscripts, Letters, Books and Booklets
Catalogue
Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $500
Sold for: $1,500
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript, handwritten leaves and printed newspaper, documenting the Mantua wedding disaster in 1776. [Mantua, 1776]. Italian interspersed with Hebrew.
In 1776, a terrible disaster occurred in the Mantuan community. On 31st May, three weddings took place in the ghetto. Two of the brides were not local, but rather from Sabbioneta and Ferrara. Their families came to Mantua in honor of the wedding, resulting in an uncommonly large gathering. The guests crowded into the home of Chananel Yosef Finzi, on the third floor of one of the ghetto buildings. The floor collapsed, bringing the lower two stories down with it. 65 of the participants were killed in this tragedy – 37 men and 28 women. 37 others were seriously injured. One of the brides was amongst the fatalities, and thus the great rejoicing turned into mourning. The Chida, who was on a mission in Italy at the time, in nearby Ferrara, documented the event in his diary Maagal Tov. One of the rabbis of Mantua, R. Yaakov Refael Saraval, whose daughter was killed in the disaster, commemorated the tragedy by composing the Kinat Sofdim lamentation (printed that year in Mantua). The date of the tragedy was ordained in the Mantua community for posterity as a day of prayer, fasting and recital of Selichot (see: Simonsohn, Toldot HaYehudim BeDukasut Mantova, I, Jerusalem 1963, p. 58; Yael Levin, MiMantova Ve'ad Versailles: Wedding Disasters in the Month of Sivan, Mekor Rishon, Shabbat, 17th June 2011, pp. 12-13).
The present item includes:
• An 18-leaf manuscript, containing a description of the disaster, written shortly thereafter by an anonymous author. A list of the victims with their names and ages is recorded at the end of the manuscript. Italian interspersed with Hebrew.
• A double handwritten leaf (3 pages), with a list of the names of the victims. The names of the 37 men killed in the disaster are listed first, followed by the names of the 28 women. Italian.
• A double handwritten leaf (2 pages), containing the list of those injured in the disaster. Italian.
• A copy of the Mantuan newspaper, issue 23, dated 7th June 1776 (several days later), reporting the tragedy.
Manuscript: [18] leaves. Original, printed cardboard binding. + [2] double leaves + issue of printed newspaper: [4] pages. Size varies, overall good condition. Stains and wear.
From the estate of Prof. Shlomo Simonsohn.
In 1776, a terrible disaster occurred in the Mantuan community. On 31st May, three weddings took place in the ghetto. Two of the brides were not local, but rather from Sabbioneta and Ferrara. Their families came to Mantua in honor of the wedding, resulting in an uncommonly large gathering. The guests crowded into the home of Chananel Yosef Finzi, on the third floor of one of the ghetto buildings. The floor collapsed, bringing the lower two stories down with it. 65 of the participants were killed in this tragedy – 37 men and 28 women. 37 others were seriously injured. One of the brides was amongst the fatalities, and thus the great rejoicing turned into mourning. The Chida, who was on a mission in Italy at the time, in nearby Ferrara, documented the event in his diary Maagal Tov. One of the rabbis of Mantua, R. Yaakov Refael Saraval, whose daughter was killed in the disaster, commemorated the tragedy by composing the Kinat Sofdim lamentation (printed that year in Mantua). The date of the tragedy was ordained in the Mantua community for posterity as a day of prayer, fasting and recital of Selichot (see: Simonsohn, Toldot HaYehudim BeDukasut Mantova, I, Jerusalem 1963, p. 58; Yael Levin, MiMantova Ve'ad Versailles: Wedding Disasters in the Month of Sivan, Mekor Rishon, Shabbat, 17th June 2011, pp. 12-13).
The present item includes:
• An 18-leaf manuscript, containing a description of the disaster, written shortly thereafter by an anonymous author. A list of the victims with their names and ages is recorded at the end of the manuscript. Italian interspersed with Hebrew.
• A double handwritten leaf (3 pages), with a list of the names of the victims. The names of the 37 men killed in the disaster are listed first, followed by the names of the 28 women. Italian.
• A double handwritten leaf (2 pages), containing the list of those injured in the disaster. Italian.
• A copy of the Mantuan newspaper, issue 23, dated 7th June 1776 (several days later), reporting the tragedy.
Manuscript: [18] leaves. Original, printed cardboard binding. + [2] double leaves + issue of printed newspaper: [4] pages. Size varies, overall good condition. Stains and wear.
From the estate of Prof. Shlomo Simonsohn.
Category
Italian Jewry – Manuscripts, Letters, Books and Booklets
Catalogue
Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $400
Sold for: $5,750
Including buyer's premium
A volume comprising manuscripts and printed works related to segulot and folk remedies:
1. Sod Yesharim, "One hundred segulot… remedies and marvels" and "fifty riddles", by R. Yehuda Aryeh Leon of Modena. Venice: Zuan di Gara, [1595].
The first part of the book includes advice, segulot and remedies, and even some magical formulas (e.g. "To draw a raven on paper and it will call", "To make an egg fly", and more). The second part of the book includes fifty riddles with answers. Sod Yesharim was published anonymously; Modena's name is alluded to in an acrostic on the title page (as he revealed in his autobiography Chayei Yehuda).
Bound with two short printed works in Italian, also related to segulot and remedies:
2. Giardino di Virtu [Garden of Virtue]. Turin, 1584. Italian.
3. Compendio di Secreti nobilissimi [Compendium of Noble Secrets]. Novara, 1605.
Bound with:
4. Three manuscript leaves in Italian cursive script. Various segulot and remedies (including: "for toothache", "to reveal the gender of an unborn baby", "recipe for an ointment to cure fever", "to stop a nosebleed", and more).
5. Two manuscript leaves in Italian cursive script. Remedies (the title on the first page reads "Sefer Refuot" – Book of Remedies, followed by: "Given to me by my mother-in-law in Turin…").
14, [1] leaves; [4] leaves; [3] leaves; [4] leaves; [2] leaves (and several blank leaves). Approx. 14 cm. Fair condition. Stains, dampstains. Tears and wear. Open marginal tears to second manuscript, affecting text. Old heavy paper cover, damaged.
Both Italian works are not recorded in OCLC.
1. Sod Yesharim, "One hundred segulot… remedies and marvels" and "fifty riddles", by R. Yehuda Aryeh Leon of Modena. Venice: Zuan di Gara, [1595].
The first part of the book includes advice, segulot and remedies, and even some magical formulas (e.g. "To draw a raven on paper and it will call", "To make an egg fly", and more). The second part of the book includes fifty riddles with answers. Sod Yesharim was published anonymously; Modena's name is alluded to in an acrostic on the title page (as he revealed in his autobiography Chayei Yehuda).
Bound with two short printed works in Italian, also related to segulot and remedies:
2. Giardino di Virtu [Garden of Virtue]. Turin, 1584. Italian.
3. Compendio di Secreti nobilissimi [Compendium of Noble Secrets]. Novara, 1605.
Bound with:
4. Three manuscript leaves in Italian cursive script. Various segulot and remedies (including: "for toothache", "to reveal the gender of an unborn baby", "recipe for an ointment to cure fever", "to stop a nosebleed", and more).
5. Two manuscript leaves in Italian cursive script. Remedies (the title on the first page reads "Sefer Refuot" – Book of Remedies, followed by: "Given to me by my mother-in-law in Turin…").
14, [1] leaves; [4] leaves; [3] leaves; [4] leaves; [2] leaves (and several blank leaves). Approx. 14 cm. Fair condition. Stains, dampstains. Tears and wear. Open marginal tears to second manuscript, affecting text. Old heavy paper cover, damaged.
Both Italian works are not recorded in OCLC.
Category
Italian Jewry – Manuscripts, Letters, Books and Booklets
Catalogue
Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
September 15, 2020
Opening: $500
Sold for: $688
Including buyer's premium
Tzemach Tzaddik, wisdom and ethics, by R. Yehuda Aryeh (Leon) de Modena. [Venice: Daniel Zanetti, 1600]. First edition.
The composition deals with the refinement of character traits (based on teachings of Jewish and gentile sages), with a chapter dedicated to each trait. Each chapter begins with a woodcut illustration, related to the chapter's topic. This book is one of the few early Hebrew books printed with illustrations. The book was printed anonymously, though the name of the author is alluded to at the beginning of the preface: "Renowned in Yehuda… the lion (Aryeh) roared", and with an acronym in the colophon at the end of the book. These are two incomplete copies of two variants of the same edition, with differences in the illustrations: on p. 13b, each copy features a different illustration. On p. 15b, the illustration was printed upside-down in one copy.
Copy 1: 2-11, 13-40 leaves (originally 40 leaves. Lacking title page and leaf 12. Leaf 2 was bound back-to-front). 13.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains, tears and wear, affecting text in several places. Paper repairs to several leaves. New binding. Copy 2: 2-7, 9-32, 34-40 leaves (originally 40 leaves. Lacking title page, leaves 8 and 33. Leaf 40 is torn and half-missing, repaired with paper; with handwritten replacement of missing text. Title page and most of the missing pages were replaced with photocopies). 14 cm. Fair condition. Stains, tears and wear, affecting text in several places. Dampstains. Worming. New binding.
The composition deals with the refinement of character traits (based on teachings of Jewish and gentile sages), with a chapter dedicated to each trait. Each chapter begins with a woodcut illustration, related to the chapter's topic. This book is one of the few early Hebrew books printed with illustrations. The book was printed anonymously, though the name of the author is alluded to at the beginning of the preface: "Renowned in Yehuda… the lion (Aryeh) roared", and with an acronym in the colophon at the end of the book. These are two incomplete copies of two variants of the same edition, with differences in the illustrations: on p. 13b, each copy features a different illustration. On p. 15b, the illustration was printed upside-down in one copy.
Copy 1: 2-11, 13-40 leaves (originally 40 leaves. Lacking title page and leaf 12. Leaf 2 was bound back-to-front). 13.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains, tears and wear, affecting text in several places. Paper repairs to several leaves. New binding. Copy 2: 2-7, 9-32, 34-40 leaves (originally 40 leaves. Lacking title page, leaves 8 and 33. Leaf 40 is torn and half-missing, repaired with paper; with handwritten replacement of missing text. Title page and most of the missing pages were replaced with photocopies). 14 cm. Fair condition. Stains, tears and wear, affecting text in several places. Dampstains. Worming. New binding.
Category
Italian Jewry – Manuscripts, Letters, Books and Booklets
Catalogue