Spice tower. Silver, filigree. Poland, Zhitomir. First half of the 19th century.
Description: Nice silver spice tower, apparently without marks, delicate filigree work. The body of the tower consists of eight ribs, one of which serves as a door that moves up and down in a track. The tower concludes at the top in a cone shape with a knop at its top. A flag stands at the top of the knop, apparently not original. Height: 210 mm. Width: 56 mm.
Condition: fine. The upper section of the door is broken.
Four spice towers. Silver, filigree. Eastern Europe, 18th-19th century.
* Lemberg, 18th century. Height: 180 mm.
* Poland? 19th century. Height: 140 mm.
* Poland/Vienna. End of the 19th century. Height: 200 mm.
* Zhitomir. 19th century. Height: 160 mm.
Condition: Overall fine condition.
Spice tower. Silver hallmarked 925. Made by “Bezalel Jerusalem.” 1920s.
Description: Height: 120 mm. Diameter: 50 mm. Egg-shaped, stands on a domed base, all with delicate, impressive filigree work. The tower opens at center, like two halves of a ball. Another copper half-ball rests on its bottom section to hold the spices. The upper section features a flag with filigree text: “ציון.” The flag is apparently not original. On its base there is a characteristic “בצלאל” inscription .
Condition: Very fine.
“Come to Palestine” poster, promoting tourism in the Holy Land under the British Mandate. By Zeev Raban, Bezalel Jerusalem. Schulz Press, Prague, Czechoslovakia.
Specifications: 99×63.5 cm. Colored lithograph press. Name and location of printer in the plate and artist’s signature: Zeev Raban Bezalel Jerusalem.
Unique Features: The poster was printed by lithograph in 1929 in Prague, since there was no press in Palestine at the time able to print a complete page with this technique. Various elements in the poster – including the medallions, the verse letters and the name of the company – were printed originally in gold.
Background: The poster was designed to address the public at large, Jew and Christian alike. It recommends visiting the Holy Land, which is redolent of Oriental culture and biblical roots, a land of ancient scenery mixed with modern vitality. The poster is full of symbolic motifs and depicts scenery seen through an architectural border of a window. The window is shaped like an Islamic pointed arch. Medallions with illustrations of stars of David and the Dome of the Rock are next to the arch . Underneath the arch, on the sides of the window, there are arabesques and pairs of twisted columns. On top of the window is the text: “Society for the promotion of travel in the Holy Land.” An English translation of verses from Song of Songs is u nderneath the window : “For lo the winter has passed the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on earth and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.” The view through the window is Lake Kinneret, Tiberias and its environs, and a snowy Mt. Hermon on the horizon.
The text: “Come to Palestine.” is o n the bottom of the poster. Zeev Raban (1890-1970) was a painter, graphic artist, industrial designer, and one of the first teachers at Bezalel. He was the director of the repousse workshop and the principal of the school. He is a patriarch of Eretz-Israeli art.
Source: Private collection.
Condition: Fine. Tears and light stains, primarily in the margins. Framed and matted. Not mounted.
Magnificent bowl on pedestal. Silver, marked בצלאל. Made by Bezalel Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine, 1927.
Description: Height: 19 cm. Diameter: 17.5 cm. Deep silver bowl. Along the entire circumference of the exterior of the bowl is delicate filigree work with stars of David that are about 30 mm. thick. The rest of the exterior surface is made of delicate, precise hammerwork by an artisan. Smooth, cylindrical pedestal, its upper and bottom section are domed and decorated with hearts and a knop at center, also decorated with hearts. All with nice, delicate filigree work. The base of the bowl is also domed with matching stars of David.
Unique features: Impressive artisan-made silver bowl. Its base bears a delicately engraved dedication in Hebrew, English and Arabic: “To H. E.[?] Lees Esq. Director of Public Works, Palestine, from his staff.”
It was commissioned and given to Mr. H. E. Lees as a parting gift.
Mr. Lees’ report regarding the infrastructure in Palestine appeared in the Jewish Daily Bulletin on 10.04.1947.
Condition: Very fine.
