Kestenbaum & Company - Auction 100
Auction Summary
Kestenbaum & Company is honored to announce its 100th Auction, which will take place on Thursday, January 19th at 1pm EST. Having served a broad and diverse range of clients for three decades, the 100th Auction is an opportunity to continue offering only the highest standard of Rare Judaica and Fine Art. Below are some highlights of the celebratory event, although, as always, perusal of the full catalogue is recommended (see link below).
In Fine Jewish Art we are privileged to present a painting by Isidor Kaufmann: ‘Portrait of a Yeshiva Student Wearing a Black Beaver Hat’ (Lot 112, Est. $200,000-300,000). This offering comprises a perfect example of Kaufmann’s distinctive, inimitable style. TheArthur Szyk Haggadah, printed entirely on vellum (Lot 72, Est. $25,000-30,000) is perhaps the most sublime of all Passover Hagadahs, while the category is rounded out by a Suite of 18 Illustrations to Israel Zangwill’s ‘Der König der Schnorrer’ by Rahel Marcus-Szalit (Lot 113, Est. $14,000-18,000). These drawings were thought to be lost to posterity over the past century, only to have been discovered most recently.
Ritual Objects is a category with many noteworthy offerings. Significant among them is a rare and highly importantParcel-Gilt Silver Filigree Spice Container from 19 th century Germany / Galicia (Lot 138, Est. $50,000-100,000). A spice-tower of exquisite quality, it is a scarce fusion of competing regional styles. Comes complete with contemporary custom fitted case. The images of a remarkably decorated, heavy Silver Chanukah Lamp (Lot 140, Est. $15,000-20,000) originating in Poland, c. 1800, must be viewed in full. The same is true of the Large 19th Century Continental Silver Megillah Case (Lot 143, Est. $15,000-20,000) which depicts Queen Esther bravely approaching King Ahasuerus.
Among the many Hebrew Manuscripts contained in the catalogue, a series of Biblical Manuscripts from the Cairo Genizah (Lots 12-15) deserve special mention. The manuscripts, dating as far back as the 10th century, contain entire Torah portions and provide valuable insights to medieval Jewish scholarship. Distinctive to Kabbalistic works, a Manuscript of the Shulchan Aruch Ha’Arizal, Posen, c. 1650, may be the oldest extant record of this important text (Lot 19, Est. $15,000-20,000). Another unique sub-category contained in this auction are letters written by members of great rabbinic families, such as that of R. Samson Raphael Hirsch (Lots 16-17) and the renowned Schneersohn family of Chabad-Lubavitch (Lots 26-29). Highlighting the personal side of the lives of celebrated Jewish leaders, the letters are matchless in their ability to humanize larger-than-life figures.
One especially strong category is American-Judaica. An almost-complete 20 Volume Set of Isaac Leeser’s The Occident is a treasure trove of Jewish History, both American and foreign. The monthly was America’s first successful Jewish periodical, issued in Philadelphia between 1843-1869 (Lot 43, Est. $40,000-60,000). So too, Isaac Pinto’s Prayers for Shabbath, Rosh Hashanah and Kipur is the first complete Jewish prayer-book published in the New World (Lot 42, Est. $60,000-80,000). The highly scarce text was issued in New York, 1766. Relating to pioneers of Orthodox Jewish life in the New York area, a List of Deceased Members of the Chevra Kadisha of Ahavath Torah, Englewood, New Jersey (1912-1933) strikes a chord (Lot 36, Est. $5,000-7,000).
Throughout the pages of the catalogue, testaments of character abound. Notable among them are lots relating to20th Century Jewish Leaders. These include aLetter from Albert Einsten (Lot 10, Est. $15,000-20,000) on the necessity of moral courage, as well as the Official Birth Certificate of Theodor Herzl’s youngest daughter Marguerite Herzl (Lot 11, $3,000-5,000). Of exceptional interest is a complete collection of the c. 90 Research Patents of Chaim Weizmann (Lot 99, $10,000-15,000). Submitted in London over the course of 40 years (1905-1945), it is oft forgotten that Israel’s first president was a scientist at heart, whose innovations contributed significantly to the Allied victory in World War One. See the full catalogue description for a complete description of how Weizmann fused his technical acumen with Zionistic ambition.
In Land of Israel, we are privileged to present the First Telephone Directory Produced for the Land of Israel (Lot 87, Est. $3,000-5,000). Printed in Jerusalem, 1921, it is a symbol highlighting the achievements made by contemporary Israel’s high-tech prowess. Another item of tremendously significant importance is an Archive of Documents Pertaining to the Yemenite-Jewish Community of Kfar HaShiloach, Jerusalem (Lot 8, Est. $12,000-18,000). The archive contains much information on legal ownership of properties in the original neighborhood, as well as on efforts of the deportees to return or receive compensation. Intersecting Land of Israel with Photography (Lots 130-136) is Photographies de Terre Sainte (Jerusalem, late 19th century), with 48 Prints of Scenery Across the Holy Land by Felix Bonfils (Lot 132, Est. $3,000-4,000). Another important category of the auction is Holocaust materials (Lots 75-83), containing a diverse range of materials.
Finally, within Philately & Numismatics, a Set of Three Imperforate Full Sheets of 50 Stamps (250m, 500m and 1,000m) from Israel, 1948 comprise the Ultimate Israel Philatelic Rarity (Lot 102, Est. $100,000-150,000). Similarly, the First Stamps Issued by the Nascent State of Israel, five full sheets (Lot 103, Est. $25,000-30,000) are highly rare. So too is a Rare Full Set of British Mandate-Issued Coins from 1927-1946 (Lot 100, Est. $7,000-9,000).
Kestenbaum & Company is proud to continue its tradition of quality, service, and commitment. As we mark our 100th Auction, we look forward to engaging with our clients, sharing our mutual passion for Jewish Tradition, History and Culture.
Questions and comments about the sale, as well as general inquiries may be directed to Shaya at Jack@Kestenbaum.net.
LOTTO 137:
(AMERICA).
dettagli...
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Prezzo iniziale:
$
7 000
Prezzo stimato :
$8 000 - $10 000
Commissione per la casa d'aste: 25%
IVA: 8.875%
Il prezzo e la commissione del lotto completo
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(AMERICA).
AMERICAN SAMPLER with Biblical / Jewish motifs.
Worked in threads on a linen ground, features (see below) all within an undulating floral border.
Some staining around the borders and light wear. Framed. 13 x 17 inches (33 x 43 cm).
Early 19th-century.
Genealogical needlework in the form of samplers was a uniquely American form of feminine artistic expression in the 18th and early 19th century.
This sampler features a fine multi-story dwelling with many windows and four chimneys in the lower center, with the surnames Jean and Johnston atop. Cross-stitched golden trees at either side of the house begat a series of first-and-last name initials, each with a crown. The upper section of the sampler is dominated by a striking image of the biblical forefather Abraham next to the altar at which the Sacrifice of Isaac was to take place. Further upwards are two stitched depictions of 7-branched Temple Menorahs adorning the Ark of the Covenant. To the left of this is a tall ship with the legend “The Deana, ” possibly the name of the ship by which this family made its way to America. Beneath the Temple imagery and above the Abraham and Isaac depiction is a four line poem:
“Abrm forber the angel cryed.
Thy faith is known thy love is tried.
Thy son shall live and in his seed.
Shall the whole earth be blessd in deed.”
This is an extract from “Submission and Deliverance: Or, Abraham offering his Son, ” a hymn written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748), a minister of the Congregational church, whose contributions to English hymnody were vast. Watts’ Hymns and Spiritual Songs went through at least two dozen editions in the 18th century.
Although the Jean / Johnston family were certainly Christian, the sampler shows a side of Protestant, and particularly American, Christian religion in its emphasis on themes from the Hebrew Bible which stands in stark contrast to the lack of imagery, quotes, or references with explicitly Christian themes.
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