Obj. ID: 37708
Jewish printed books  Tashbetz, Cremona, 1556

This text was prepared by William Gross:

Tashbetz, rulings and customs of the Maharam of Rothenburg. [Cremona]: Vincenzo Conti, [1556]. First edition.Title page illustrated with a fine engraving.
Halakhic work based on the customs of R. Meir of Rothenberg (Maharam) by his student R. Samson b.Zadok (13th C). When R. Meir was imprisoned and held for ransom in the tower of Enisheim he was visited regularly by R. Samson, who served as his attendant. During this time R. Samson carefully recorded in Sefer Tashbetz Maharam's teachings, customs and daily rituals, what he heard and what he observed, from the time R. Meir rose in the morning until he retired at night, on weekdays, Sabbaths and festivals. Tashbetz became a popular work among Ashkenazim, much copied and influential.
The title page shows a cartouche made up of a medallion personifying Cremona. In the upper section is the head of a winged horse, with a bare-breasted woman to the right and a man to the left. Below, the large medallion shows a helmeted woman (Cremona), an open book in her left hand and below a lion. Her right hand holds a small man bearing a laurel. Beneath her is a crowned reclining man holding a pitcher of water.
Tashbetz is one of only three Hebrew books in which this title page, also appearing on Conti's Latin works, was employed.
Vincenzo Conti, who printed in several locations, is best known for his printing activity in Cremona, where his press was active from 1556-1567. The initial privilege given to Conti to print in Cremona was for Latin books, which he began to do in 1555. The following year he began to print Hebrew books. In all, he issued more than forty titles while in Cremona.
Conti took great pride in his Hebrew books, having new fonts cast, rather than acquiring worn letters from other presses (thus accounting for the clear and attractive look of his books) and employing skilled Jewish workers. He used cursive rabbinic type for the text of his earlier books, until the fonts were burned in 1559. Square letters were cast to replace them, thus distinguishing his earlier and later works.