Obj. ID: 39424  Textile for Bag of Earth of the Holy Land, Jerusalem, circa 1925

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

While death and mourning are not generally considered a subject with a lot of graphic expression, within the Jewish tradition there are quite a few examples. Such things as memorial poems, burial plot receipts, Yahrzeit memorial plaques, etc. gave ample scope for artistic creativity. The customs surrounding this sad time of life gave birth to graphic design.

Traditionally, it has been the dream of every Jew to be buried in Jerusalem. At the beginning of the 20th cenury someone developed an idea for all of those for whom such a buriel was impossible, who were nearly 100% of the Jewish population from that time. This object is a single textile for two bags of earth, printed with the pictures of Holy Places, in these examples the Tomb of Rachel and the Valley of the Tombs. These were printed in Jerusalem during the 20's. The bag, full of earth from the Holy Land, was sent abroad to be placed under the head of a deceased Jew, so that it is as if he were buried in the Holy City of Jerusalem. This is a sort of spiritual pilgrimage to tie the deceased to the Holy Land. This fabric is straight from the printing press on a bright yellow cloth, before cutting and use.

Inscription: U-Kfar Admato 'imo