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Distributed for Karolinum Press, Charles University

Silver Judaica

From the Collection of the Jewish Museum in Prague

The Jewish Museum in Prague is home to a variety of silver Jewish ritual artifacts, from Kiddush cups, Hanukkah lamps, and Torah decorations, to the dozens of other objects used in observing the commandments. Silver Judaica celebrates this extraordinary collection with full-color illustrations and detailed explanations of each of the museum’s nearly five hundred pieces. Jaroslav Kuntoš covers each artifact in painstaking detail, highlighting the design features that indicate a piece’s date and place of production. Kuntoš compares and contrasts those pieces made by Jews with those made by Christians, explaining how—during the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, the period when a majority of these artifacts were made—Jews were excluded from membership in the guilds, and as a result, many of the ceremonial objects, though used by Jewish communities, were made by non-Jewish manufacturers or artisans on commission. A fascinating survey of superior craftsmanship, Silver Judaica will appeal to students and scholars of art history and religious studies alike.

315 pages | 530 color plates | 6 1/2 x 8 1/2 | © 2012

Art: Art--General Studies


Table of Contents

Introduction
 
1. The Structure of the Collection, Chronology, and Regions of Production
 
2. Silver Objects of Foreign Make in the Jewish Museum’s Collection
 
3. Characteristics and Typical Features of Domestic Production of Silver Judaica
 
4. Jewish Makers in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia
 
5. Christian Makers of Judaica in Bohemia
 
6. Christian Makers of Judaica in Moravia and Silesia
 
7. The Compulsory Purchase of Synagogue Silver 1809-1810
 
Catalogue
 
A Note on the Catalogue
 
I. Torah Shields
 
II. Torah Crowns
 
III. Torah Finials
 
IV. Torah Pointers
 
V. Levite Pitchers and Basins
 
VI. Etrog Containers
 
VII. Alms Boxes
 
VIII. Charity Dishes
 
IX. Combs
 
X. Cups and Beakers
 
XI. Lights
 
XII. Spice Boxes
 
XIII. Mixed
 
Index
 
Localities
 
Makers by Name
 
Makers by Initials
 
First Names
 
Surnames
 
Bibliography
 
About the Author

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