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Obj. ID: 1603
Jewish Architecture
  Kupa Synagogue in Kraków – Interior before the restoration

© Center for Jewish Art, Photographer: Unknown,

The ceiling, walls, and women’s gallery of the Kupa Synagogue are richly decorated with murals painted in the 1920s. Intricate geometrical frames on the flat ceiling enclose images of holy places in Israel as well as the musical instruments of Psalm 150:3-6. The north side of the ceiling presents a panorama of Jerusalem and a representation of the Flood; the south side depicts Tiberias and the Oak of Mamre; Jaffa Gate and the Western Wall appear on the east side; panoramic views of Hebron and Haifa on the west side complete the arrangement. The three paintings on the western wall of the prayer hall depict Noah's Ark, the hanging of musical instruments on trees beside the rivers of Babylon (Psalm 137:1-3), and a panoramic view of Jerusalem. It should be noted that images of human figures are extremely rare in synagogue decoration. The prayer hall also includes a partially-preserved architectural decoration in the form of tall Corinthian columns with a complicated cornice. The parapet of the women’s gallery features the signs of the zodiac within ovular frames. The artist was clearly quite professional, but is unfortunately unidentified.

Four fragments of other paintings lying underneath the present layer of murals and dating from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries are observable. These older works are ornamental in nature, with patterns of leaves and fruit surrounding textual material. A painted stucco Torah ark from the late 17th or early 18th century is also preserved in the synagogue.

For the ceiling see:

For the Torah ark see:

For the parapet of the women's gallery (Zodiac signs) see:

For the western wall of the prayer hall see:

 

For the older fragments of wall decoration see:  

Summary and Remarks
Remarks

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Name/Title
Kupa Synagogue in Kraków – Interior before the restoration | Unknown
Object Detail
Monument Setting
Unknown
Date
17th-19th centuries (fragments of murals), 1920s (murals)
Active dates
Reconstruction dates
Artist/ Maker
Unknown
Historical Origin
Unknown
Community type
Congregation
Unknown
Location
Site
Unknown
School/Style
Unknown|
Period
Unknown
Period Detail
Collection
Unknown |
Documentation / Research project
Unknown
Iconographical Subject
Unknown |
Textual Content
Unknown |
Languages of inscription
Unknown
Shape / Form
Unknown
Material / Technique
Material Stucture
Material Decoration
Material Bonding
Material Inscription
Material Additions
Material Cloth
Material Lining
Tesserae Arrangement
Density
Colors
Construction material
Measurements
Height
Length
Width
Depth
Circumference
Thickness
Diameter
Weight
Axis
Panel Measurements
Condition
Extant
Documented by CJA
Surveyed by CJA
Present Usage
Present Usage Details
Condition of Building Fabric
Architectural Significance type
Historical significance: Event/Period
Historical significance: Collective Memory/Folklore
Historical significance: Person
Architectural Significance: Style
Architectural Significance: Artistic Decoration
Urban significance
Significance Rating
0
Ornamentation
Custom
Contents
Codicology
Scribes
Script
Number of Lines
Ruling
Pricking
Quires
Catchwords
Hebrew Numeration
Blank Leaves
Direction/Location
Façade (main)
Endivances
Location of Torah Ark
Location of Apse
Location of Niche
Location of Reader's Desk
Location of Platform
Temp: Architecture Axis
Arrangement of Seats
Location of Women's Section
Direction Prayer
Direction Toward Jerusalem
Coin
Coin Series
Coin Ruler
Coin Year
Denomination
Signature
Colophon
Scribal Notes
Watermark
Hallmark
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Trade Mark
Binding
Decoration Program
Suggested Reconsdivuction
History/Provenance
Main Surveys & Excavations
Sources
Izabella Rejduch-Samkowa and Jan Samek, eds., Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, vol. 4: Miasto Kraków, part 6: Kazimierz i Stradom; Judaica: Bóżnice, budowle publiczne i cmentarze (Warsaw: IS PAN, 1995), pp. 18-20. Maria and Kaziemerz Piechotka, Bramy Nieba: Bóznice murowane na ziemiach dzwnei Rzeczypospolitej, (Warszawa: Krupski i S-ka, 1999), pp. 127-128. Eleonora Bergman and Jan Jagelski, Zachowane Synagogi i domy molitwy w Polsce: Katalog (Żydowski Institut Historyczny, Warszawa, 1996), p. 65.
Type
Documenter
Boris Khaimovich | 1994
Author of description
Boris Khaimovich | 2014
Architectural Drawings
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Computer Reconstruction
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Section Head
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Language Editor
Yeshayahu Gruber | 2015
Donor
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Negative/Photo. No.
The following information on this monument will be completed:
Unknown |