Winner's Auctions No. 111
Important Historic Documents, Haskalah, Einstein, Seforim, Manuscripts and Letters from Rabbis and Rebbes
- (-) Remove Proclamations, Etchings and Graphics filter Proclamations, Etchings and Graphics
- (-) Remove Proclamations, Etchings and Graphics filter Proclamations, Etchings and Graphics
High-quality painting on wood. Placed in a magnificent wooden frame. Signed on the lower left.
Size: 41x51 cm; including the frame: 63x72 cm.
Very fine Condition. Slight blemishes.
Printed Mizrach board - with a wondrous segulah from the pure and holy teacher Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropoli, zy"a - Jerusalem, 19th Century.
Printed Mizrach board, published by Rabbi "Ber Zwebner, son of the gaon of Kavelsdorf, N"Y." Jerusalem, [c. 1870-1875].
Printed at the top: "סגולה נפלאה... בזמן עיפוש ומגיפה" ["Wondrous segulah ... at times of mold and plague"] in Hebrew and Aramaic by kabbalist Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropoli, ending with the prayer, "לטהר ולזכך אויר עולמיך מכל עיפוש וקלקול" ["To purify and refine your world from all mold and spoilage"]. Two illustrations are printed under the segulah and prayer: on the right - the Western Wall, and on the left - tomb of the kings of the House of David. In between, there is a commentary by the Riva"sh of Zamoshye - a chart detailing the 42 journeys of the Children of Israel in the desert, arranged according to the letters אב"ג ית"ץ. On the board, it is mentioned that it was printed "by order of and published by Rabbi Ber Zwebner son of the gaon of Kavelsdorf, N"Y." The publisher's father, Rabbi Avraham Shaag-Zwebner, Av Beit Din of Kobersdorf, passed away in 1876, and given that he is mentioned with a blessing for the living (N"Y [=Nero Yair]), we conclude that this board was published even earlier. Not in the National Library!
[1] leaf paper. 36x49 cm.
Condition: Very fine.
"Wondrous calendar through the end of the sixth millennium." Magnificent, intricate creation, that took an entire year to create. Unknown discovery!
Large, deluxe wall calendar, printed from an illustrated manuscript. It includes the name of the artist and, exceptionally, the name of the proofreader. Also printed with prominent approbations. The bottom section of the calendar notes the year and place that it was made.
The calendar includes times of the moladot and tekufot, leap years and shemittah years, planets, signs of the zodiac, prayer times, Shabbat times, Birkat HaChamah and much historic information. It includes customs, laws and customs of the haftarah, times for kiddush levanah and its laws. With dozens of nice sketches, high-level geometric designs. With pictures of the signs of the zodiac, animals, three pictures of the moon at different times of the month and more.
The name of the artist and writer appears on the bottom section: David Elya son of Binyamin Beinus Wallach of Chorostkow, a village in Tarnopol, Galicia. Includes the name of the proofreader, Yisrael Tenenbaum. On the bottom left, the artist writes that he started this work in 1884 and finished it a year later in 1885. He writes how proud he is of his handiwork.
The upper section features the approbation of Lemberg rabbis: Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Orenstein and his son-in-law, Rabbi Aryeh Leib Brodye. The bottom section features the approbation of Admor Yisrael of Chortkov, signed by his noted gabbai Rabbi Aharon Dahl and the approbation of Rabbi Shimon Babad of Tarnopol, the son of Rabbi Yosef Babad, author of the Minchat Chinuch, and his father's successor in the rabbinate. Along with the approbations of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Teumim, author of Shu"t Eretz Tzvi and Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Yost of Lemberg, author of Ohalei Yaakov and Mikraei Kodesh.
This calendar is not discussed the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book. To the best of our knowledge, it is not in any of the large public libraries throughout the world. The artist is also unknown.
[1] printed leaf mounted on cardboard. 72x58 cm. Matted and framed. Very fine condition.
Palestine Near East Exhibition and Fair. Tel Aviv October 4 – November 7, 1925. Color lithograph print poster designed by artist Meir Gur Aryeh [plate-signed], Industrial Art Studio, Graphica Press, Jerusalem.
Poster advertisement for the Palestine Near East Exhibition and Fair which took place in Tel Aviv, in its second year [preceding the Levant Fair by a number of years]. A woman in Oriental dress, somewhat biblical, against a backdrop of a map of the Land of Israel and the emblem of the Levant Fair, the "Flying Camel." The peddler offers her wares in the form of a basket with fruits which are an agricultural product of the fruits of the Land of Israel. The map in the background includes the Land of Israel, the Arabian Peninsula, part of the Mediterranean Sea and part of the Red Sea.
The Oriental view is a recurring motif in advertising posters for tourism of the Land of Israel produced by leading designers of the period. The various illustrators depicted the Land as perceived in the glory days of Tanach. Spring and nature represented the romantic longing for the renewal of the youth of the people in Zion, and was one of the most beloved subjects of artists such as Gur-Aryeh and Lilien (for example, in the Mizrach plate he designed, which depicted the Land of Israel as an Oriental land, magical and mythical - a land of sun and palm trees), with the Utopian image of the Land as an Oriental land of legendary wealth was very widespread in their works which were intended to "market" the Land of Israel in the Jewish diaspora and among tourists who visited for a limited time. The 'Mizrach' presented not only as the natural and original place of the people, but also as a place, in contrast to the gloomy climate in Europe, with an abundance of sun and agricultural yield. The aim of this type of work was to achieve a purpose beyond the realm of art: to increase interest in the Land of Israel among diaspora Jews and to encourage immigration, while diverting attention from the real difficulties which prevailed in the Land those years: drought, swamps, the Arab enemy, etc. The result was one-time monumental works such as this, which were of higher quality that those that preceded them and those that came after them.
Meir Gur-Aryeh [1891-1951] was a native of Russia, he completed his study of art in Russia, and after immigrating to the Land of Israel in 1913, he continued his studies at Bezalel. He established a studio called "Menorah" for practical art objects, with Ze'ev Raban and Shmuel Persov. In 1923, he opened a course called "Industrial Art Studio" which dealt mainly with graphic design, where this poster was designed. The fair for which this advertising poster was designed was organized by the Trade and Industry Company which was established by Tel Aviv entrepreneurs who saw unprecedented success in the form of tens of thousands then hundreds of thousands of Jews, Arabs, English and tourists visiting each year.
Rare poster, not appearing in Blue and White in Color - Visual Images of Zionism edited by Rachel Arbel, Diaspora Musuem, 1997.
Size: 85x51 cm. Without the text: 67x51 cm. Fine condition. Light fold marks. The poster in glued to to a Canvas mat for display and preservation.
Religious Ceremonies and Customs of all Peoples of the World. One volume incorporating approximately 227 beautiful engravings on full pages of thick paper, some spread over two pages. Rare copy incorporating all the engravings in one volume. Amsterdam, 1723-1738. First edition [?] in very fine condition.
Masterpiece by Bernard Picart which was dubbed "The Book that Changed the Face of Europe." As the book's title indicates, these books attempted to incorporate the customs and ceremonies of all the recognized religions of the world. The work actually laid the foundations of the study of religions and greatly influenced the representation of world religions in the Western World.
The work, or "Picart" as it was commonly known, broke all accepted conventions in the field. It presented all religions, even Pagan ones, equally and nonjudgmentally. It sought to promote religious tolerance by showing the undesirable consequences of fanaticism, for example by showing especially graphic pictures of executions and torture. However, it also praised religions, such as Islam, which were tolerant of others.
Picart dedicated a lot of space in this work to Jews, and even developed his work with them - this at a time that antisemitism in Europe was rampant. This work represents Jewish customs in a sympathetic manner, and includes a famous engraving of "Purim" in an Amsterdam synagogue, which covers two pages, and other works about Jewish customs: Sukkot, Passover, ritual circumcision, wedding, burial rites and more.
Picart was apparently quite familiar with the Jewish community of Amsterdam, and he even prepared an engraving for the book Tikkun Sofrim.
Although the books were confiscated by the Church, they were published in four languages (French, English, Dutch and German) and sold 4000 copies. The books have received renewed interest in recent years by religious scholars.
A unique and rare copy is before us, which was printed and bound apparently at the same time as the first edition, with a heartwarming change in which all the engravings were bound without the leaves of text and according to the order of the complete work, and without a title page.
[252] leaves. 39 cm. Very fine condition. Thick paper. White leaves. Color page cuts. Original leather binding, cracked at the sides of the spine.
Gorgeous collection of engravings that depict Jerusalem and the Temple in many different forms. Each engraving indicates how its artist based the work on the Biblical sources but nevertheless fashioned the work according to the architectural fashion of the time.
Large collection of engravings depicting Jerusalem, the king's palace, the Temple and its vessels at different eras: the Tabernacle, Solomon's Temple, the Temple during the era of Judah the Maccabee, Herod's Temple, and the the Temple's destruction. The engravings depict the structure of the Temple as the artists perceived them in their imaginations, based on Biblical and other sources. The artists incorporated architectural motifs from various eras, together they create an impressive mosaic of how the Temple was perceived over the years.
For example, one engraving depicts the two pillars at the front of Solomon's Temple in Corinthian style; in another, the Temple resembles the Buckingham Palace in London. In general, much of this artwork resembles European castles of the period; others are reminiscent of cathedrals, and the Women's Gallery is also depicted with magnificent buildings surrounding it - reminiscent of the European royal courts.
On the other hand, some artists created amazingly precise works that are similar to those created by modern researchers. The collection also includes pictures made by artists who visited the site and depict realistic renditions of 19th century Jerusalem.
A detailed list of items in this collection can be found on the Winner's Auctions website.
Varying sizes and conditions. Some of the engravings were painted. Overall fine condition.
Samuelis Bocharti Geographia Sacra, Seu Phaleg Et Canaan : Cui Accedunt Variae Dissertationes Philologicae, Geographicae, Theologicae &c. Antehac ineditae: Ut Et Tabulae Geographicae Et Indices, longe quam antea luculentiores & locupletiores.
A composition on the geography of Canaan and nations mentioned in Genesis. Latin. Includes 13 maps printed on special paper, among them large folded maps. Maps of various countries are written partially in Hebrew, which is very rare for the time.
Almost no maps in Hebrew of the Land of Israel and the Middle East are known from such an ancient period. The book had a profound influence on biblical interpretation in the 17th century. Author's portrait at opening. Bocharti traces the biblical roots using Greek, Hebrew, Arabic and other Semitic languages, and used Hebrew letters to write words in Arabic. Includes a comparison table between letters in Latin, Hebrew, Greek and Sumerian.
[9] 1223 pages [56], 39 cm.
Very fine condition. Original leather binding. The front part is loose.
Printed kosher certification from Rabbi Shalom Mordechai HaKohen Av Beit Din in Berezhany. Rare!
"I have examined the machine, approved with a government patent to Steiger and Igra of Lemberg, that makes holes in matzah ... I have tested a number of matzah doughs and have seen the quickness of the work and ... a matzah with holes is rapidly produced ... with a great kashrut advantage ... the matter is correct according to Torah opinion and I believe that every rabbi in his city should make efforts so that every matzah bakery will purchase a machine like this."
Rabbi Shalom Mordechai HaCohen Schwardron 1835-1911 was known as the "Maharsham of Berezhany." In his youth, he was a chassid of the "Sar Shalom" of Belz and of Rabbi Meir Premishlan. He was a noted rabbi and halachic adjudicator in Galicia. His ruling permitting the use of machine matzah on Passover is unusual, because he generally aligned with the Chassidim. He wrote halachic responsa on timely topics such as the use of electricity and medical questions.
[1] leaf, paper. 21x35 cm.
Condition: Fine-very fine. Fold marks, light tears without loss.
Chilling poster published about three days after the passing of the Chafetz Chaim, on behalf of the rosh yeshivahs who had participated in the funeral, who feared for future of the Radin yeshivah in the wake of the Chafetz Chaim's passing. The margins of the proclamation include a rare apology from Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodinsky, as he was unable to attend the funeral due to his illness. Radin, 26 Elul, 1933.
"We came to pay our final respects, and we came to his great study hall, the holy yeshivah founded by him, he gave his life for its existence for some seventy years ... and we know that our great rabbi was troubled much for the holy yeshivah's existence, it was his soul's desire and the life of his spirit all the days of his life ..."
Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodinsky's request appears later: "And I, who was not privileged to attend this bitter day due to some cold, the stormy day when the sky darkened with clouds, to pay final respects to my erudite companion, the gaon and tzaddik z"l ... steeped in sorrow, awaiting salvation and consolation, the third day of selichot 1933, Vilna. Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky." In the margins of the proclamation, Rabbi Chaim Ozer's signature appears in print.
Rare, unknown poster. Does not appear in the National Library.
[1] printed paper leaf. 22x48 cm.
Very fine condition.