Obj. ID: 49841
Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts Tribute to the members of the Kovei' 'Etim Holy Society in Fiorenzuola d'Arda in the province of Emilia, Fiorenzuolo d'Arda, 1750
The following description was prepared by William Gross:
Italian Jewry had a particular fondness for the composition of Hebrew poems and texts. The inspiration for the writing or printing of such texts was to honor or commemorate different events in Jewish life. The result is a large number of single manuscripts or printed pages, often with decorative elements as well as text. This extensive use of the Hebrew language in such creative ways is a marked characteristic of Italian Jewry between the 16th and 19th centuries.
This often expressed itself in special prayers created for occasional use. In this example, there is a large hand-written and decorated page in honor of the members of the Kovei' 'Etim Holy Society in Fiorenzuola d'Arda in the province of Emilia.
The poem is very esthetically rendered, in the design, the script and in the decorative border surrounding the text.
1 image(s)
sub-set tree:
The Jewish community was founded in 1562. The furniture of the synagogue is now in the Schapira Synagogue in Milano. Some of the lamps are in Soragna along with a large table. At the end of the 18th century, there were 200 Jews in the city. By 1880 there were only 75 remaining.