PRECIOUS POSSESSIONS: TREASURES FROM THE LIBRARY OF THE JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY: AN EXHIBITION MAY 14, 2001-AUGUST 20, 2001

Mintz, Sharon Liberman; Elka Deitsch; Havva Charm

Published by New York; Commonplace Publishing For The Library Of The Jewish Theological Seminary, 2001

Clothbound. 4to. 112 pages. 27 cm. Only edition. Blue cloth with gilt lettering, decorative endpages, and 100 plates of color photograph reproductions. Catalog of the exhibition Treasures from the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary, held May 14-August 30, 2001 at the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary, curated by Sharon Liberman Mintz, Elka Deitsch, and Havva Charm. A beautifully illustrated volume of rare printed material from the extensive library of the Jewish Theological Seminary, this collection affords a graphic representation of over ten centuries of Jewish scholarship, spanning the spectrum of Bible, liturgy, rabbinics, kabbalah, science, literature, philosophy and philology, specifically the Genizah, Ketubbot, Megillot, Incunabula, broadsides and prints, Americana, bookplates, and early 20th century Jewish postcards. A number of plates have their finest features and details reproduced in an enlarged portion, oftentimes comprising two full pages of the book, for example: "Zionist New Year's Greeting" from 1906, or the "Fourth Day of Creation", an engraving from 1600. Many other plates, such as the "Portae Lucis" (Gates of Light) from 1516, or the "Sefer Minhagim" (Book of Customs) from 1593, are reproduced twice on the same page to give an enlarged view upon the fine features of a specific characters of representative figures of the drawings or print adjacent. "This exhibition reflects the scope of the library's vast holdings and presents a splendid overview of the riches and resources found in the collection. In addition to the 370, 000 volumes in the general collection, the library's special collection currently comprises eleven thousand Hebrew manuscripts, thirty thousand fragments from the Cairo Genizah and twenty thousand rare printed books, including the largest collection of Hebrew incunables in the world. The Jewish art collection boasts an outstanding assemblage of ketubbot and megillot, as well as a diverse selection of broadsides and rare engravings from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries. The bookplate, postcard, music and Americana collections allow scholars to study the cultural history of Jewry in the twentieth century. These materials, gathered from all corners of the globe and representing communities from North America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe , have established the library of the Jewish Theological Seminary as a preeminent American center of Jewish scholarship. The pieces shown here are not merely artifacts; they are agents of Jewish identity that reflect human experience and progression while ensuring the perpetuation of Jewish spirit and knowledge. " Subjects: Judaism -- Liturgical objects. Jewish art and symbolism. Manuscripts, Hebrew -- Bibliography -- Exhibitions. Incunabula -- Bibliography -- Exhibitions. Early printed books -- Bibliography -- Exhibitions. Hebrew imprints -- Bibliography -- Exhibitions. Fine condition. (JTS-2-3). Seller Inventory # 28682

Bibliographic Details

Title: PRECIOUS POSSESSIONS: TREASURES FROM THE ...
Publisher: New York; Commonplace Publishing For The Library Of The Jewish Theological Seminary
Publication Date: 2001
Binding: Hardcover