Img. ID: 493741
  Sacred and Ritual  

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The following description was prepared by William Gross:

Although this Jewish papercut was made in London, England, it is totally in the style of those done in the Galician area of Poland and the Ukraine.  This was clearly made by an immigrant to England from that area, a man who produced this in order to honor the sovereign of his newly adopted homeland. The purpose of the papercut is as a Mizrach, to be hung on the eastern wall of home or synagogue to indicate the direction of prayer. The artist has included a dedication, in English, to the English sovereign, queen Victoria, and all the royal family. It is one of the largest and most magnificent Jewish papercuts in existence, full of vegetal and animal imagery, including the full zodiac and the royal seal of the kingdom of Great Britain. In the lower center is a beautiful rendition of the temple menorah, with the 67th psalm inscribed on it. There are many inscriptions in Hebrew and in English, including quotations from the bible. The papercut is still in its original English double frame from the time and background paper is the same color as the original.