Obj. ID: 37669
Sacred and Ritual Objects Matzah cover, Israel/Eretz Israel, circa 1920
The following description was prepared by William Gross:
Matzah is the unleavened bread that Jews eat during the eight days of the Passover Holiday. The leader of the ceremony of Passover Eve conducts the ritual using different symbols of the Holiday, including three pieces of Matzah. Special holders were made to keep these three pieces in three separate compartments. Such Matzah holders were often made from textiles and embroidered to beautifully grace the Passover table. They were often made by the woman of the house.
A rare phenomenon in such Matzah covers is the use of fish scales in embroidery. This Matzah cover shows the use of this material in the two fish represented in the upper half of the object. There is another such Matzah cover in the collection of the Israel Museum. There are depicted two goats as well, made from narrow pieces of silk sewn to the ground of purple silk. Around the circumference of the round Matzah cover is an inscription executed in the gold metal thread containing the blessing over the Matzah and the name of the holy city of Jerusalem. Surrounding that inscription on the edge is a garland of flowers. The textile was made to contain the three pieces of Matzah ritually necessary for the Seder.
sub-set tree:
G | Goat
O | Ornamentation: | Foliate and floral ornaments | Floral motif
V | Vase | Vase with flowers
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