Esther Scroll, First Edition (4 results)

Laminated printed boards, small 4to, 137 pp, plates, ills. 375 lots. From the foreword: "A notable recent acquisition was that of Westminster Abbey's complete set of the Bomberg Talmud in its original binding. Sixteen volumes of this extremely rare original edition have thus been made available for inclusion in this sale. In addition to these, a strong representation of some of the least common Hebrew books has been selected for sale, including works printed in Basle, Bologna, Constantinople, Cracow, Fano, Ferrara, Isny, Lublin, Mantua, Prague, Rimini, Riva di Trento, Sabbioneta, Saloniki, Thiengen, Venice and Verona. The subjects covered include Bibles, Rabbinic Codes, Responsa, Grammars, Kabbalah, Liturgy, Philosophy and Science. Most of the great Hebrew classics, such as Bechayei, Crescas, Gersonides, Kimchi, Levita, Abarbanel, Maimonides, Nachmanides, Yehuda Ha'Levi, Sa'adya Gaon, Yakov Ben Asher, Yehuda Liwa Ben Bezalel, Shlomo Luria, Moshe Isserles, Joseph Karo, Menasseh Ben Israel, and many others are represented here in some of the rarest editions. It would be otiose to expand upon the events in Jewish history which have contributed to the scarcity of surviving books from earlier centuries and to the damaged condition of many of the furvivors. It is sufficient to say that the collection now being offered is the most notable to have appeared on the market since the sales in 1970 of the printed books collected by David Solomon Sassoon. " Indexed. Boards a little rubbed. List of estimates laid in.

Scroll in wooden case. Condition: NEW in original box. First edition, limited to 1746 copies. NEW in publisher's original box -unopened. --- --- --- --- Taschen America, 2013, text in English, German, French, Hebrew. Limited Collector's Edition of 1,746 copies, with a gilt-edged commentary volume. Facsimile scroll almost 21 feet long, in a handcrafted walnut-veneer display case 23 x 13 inches (64.2x33.5 cm), 16.3 pounds (6.4 kg), -- Please ask for shipping cost before ordering -- Richly illustrated continuous text, 6.5 m (over 21 ft) long, unfurls right to left from a leather-bound cylinder -- Clothbound and gilt-edged commentary volume by Falk Wiesemann contains an introductory essay, the biblical text of the Book of Esther in four languages and a fold-out sheet with an overview of all the illustrations with commentary volume by Falk Wiesemann in English, German, Hebrew and French, 194 pages --- A publishing triumph, this reproduction of the Esther Scroll, held by the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Bibliothek in Hanover, is a richly illustrated continuous text. The original manuscript, measuring almost 7 meters long, forms the core and heart of the Jewish festival of Purim and is a unique artifact depicting the story of Esther in contemporary German, the only one of its kind. Delivered in a handcrafted walnut-veneer display case, this is a truly divine reading experience. --- Scrolling through history: A true discovery: The Esther Scroll of 1746. The use of scrolls dates back to ancient times, and one of the best known examples in history is the Esther scroll, or Hebrew megillah, which is devoted solely to the story of Queen Esther and is read on the feast of Purim. An uninhibitedly joyful festival, Purim celebrates the salvation of the Jews in the Persian empire of the 5th century under the rule of King Xerxes I. The word Purim is derived from the Hebrew "pur," meaning "lot," and refers to the fact that the Persian minister Haman determined by lot the time that all Jews should be destroyed. This circumstance, related in the Hebrew Bibles Book of Esther, is publicly read out from the megillah in the synagogue at Purim.TASCHENs facsimile of the Esther scroll is a major achievement in publishing history. It is produced from the very fine manuscript scroll held by the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Bibliothek in Hanover, dated 1746 and measuring 6.5 meters long; this particular megillah is stunning not only in terms of its lavish illuminations but also because it contains a contemporary German version of the story of Esther. For many centuries, the creator of the Hanover scroll was unknown. Piecing together information from various sources, and performing his own stylistic analysis of this and other works of art from the period, author Falk Wiesemann recently made an enthralling discovery: the artist of the Hanover scroll was Wolf Leib Katz Poppers, a Jewish scribe and illustrator from Hildesheim.Limited edition of only 1,746 copiesFacsimile scroll in a handcrafted walnut veneer display caseRichly illustrated, continuous text, 6.5 m (over 21 ft) long, unfurls right to left from a leather-bound cylinderCloth-bound and gilt-edged commentary volume by Falk Wiesemann contains an introductory essay, the biblical text of the Book of Esther in four languages and a fold-out sheet with an overview of all the illustrations.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. 8vo (24.5 x 18 cm); 137, [5] pp.; 376 total lots; including index of towns and printers; estimates slip loosely inserted. Facsimile illustrations throughout, in colour and b/w. Original green printed boards; slight shelf-wear; corners and edges slightly worn. Overall, a very good copy.

Hardcover. Condition: fine. Limited first edition. 1/100. Oblong Folio. 15x21.5". Beige clamshell box. Illustrated ceramic tile with gilt overlays and gold-brown lettering, mounted in a debossed cutout on the front cover. The box houses an illustrated leporello of the Book of Esther. This "Ganze Megilah", contains the entire contents of Avner Moriah's lavishly illustrated version of the Scroll of Esther, comprised of 20 sheets (panels) on Arsh paper, hinged with leather tape, each measuring approximately 21x14". The work reproduces the vivid colors of the original, painted in gouache and gold leaf, depicting scenes from the story to accompany the masterful calligraphy by Izzy Pludwinsky. The text appears below the illustrations. The cover panel depicts the cityscape of Shushan, and is followed by the first illustrated panel showing vignettes which act as a key to identifying the of the main characters of the story. The opening scenes of the king's feast are full of vivid color, and are densely populated with numerous figures. Throughout the work Moriah imbues the action scenes, tableaus and cityscapes with life and and vibrancy. The backgrounds are in lighter hues, and convey a wonderful sense of place and atmosphere. Lushly decorated interior scenes are filled with finely detailed and ornate Islamic-style geometric and floral designs, surrounding and engulfing the characters. The content of the text is rendered in simple scenes that get directly to the heart of the action, and easily convey meaning. When entirely folded out, the panels have total length of approximately 36 feet. The leporello is accompanied by a printed booklet in white sewn wrappers on textured paper, with gold-brown lettering on the front cover. This booklet discusses the production of the work, the artists biography, the contents of the Esther story, and contains an English translation of the Hebrew text of each of the 18 story panels. The publication is #5 of a limited number of 100 copies, from a total edition of 180, hand-numbered and signed on the final panel by the artist. This is the fifth and most recent time that the Book of Esther has been illustrated by Avner Moriah. The printing was supervised by the artist and Yair Medina, at the Jerusalem Fine Art Prints Workshop, under the Digigraphie standards, using an Epson 9900 Printer. Text in Hebrew and English. Box, binding and interior in fine condition overall.