Dear Tsadik,
I am writing to you about a piece for which I would appreciate your evaluation. Attached is a picture of a magnificent papercut Mizrach sign prepared by one of my great-grandfathers. He was born in Lithuania, coming from distinguished rabbinic lineage, and prepared this Mizrach about 1904, when he lived in Minneapolis. It is about 24” x 28.” In 1995, I had this piece professionally restored by the paper conservator at the New York Historical Society. The details and beauty of this splendid piece are not fully captured in the picture. The 49 circles contain the phrases of the 49 days of the Omer. Thank you.
S.
Teaneck, N.J.
Dear S.,
What an exciting family heirloom to own! You and I have had some follow-up communication after your initial email to me; that is because I had to make sure all of the information you provided was verifiable, as it can affect the monetary value of your piece. Now you will finally have your answer.
First, to briefly discuss what you have: A Mizrach (Hebrew for “East”) is a decorative plaque placed on the eastern wall of a home or synagogue to orient the direction of one’s prayer toward the city of Jerusalem. The most beautiful examples of these plaques were often made by Jewish folk artists in Eastern Europe, using the demanding and exacting technique of excising small bits of paper from a large sheet, leaving an elaborate image that adds an entire new dimensionality to the artwork being created. When wielded by a skilled craftsman, the papercutter’s knife produced the most elegant and striking Mizrach plaques of all.
As is common in many other extant examples, the composition of your papercut is almost entirely symmetrical, designed on one half of a sheet of paper, folded vertically, and cut out through both halves, thus creating a mirror image revealed upon unfolding the sheet. Animals, both mythical and real, are often found on Jewish papercuts; your Mizrach features various depictions of birds, a lion, and a deer.
Assessing the value of a papercut Mizrach can be somewhat complicated, as a number of factors have to be taken into account. First and foremost, the quality of a papercut is determined by how intricate it is. The finer and more complex its artistry, the greater the market interest and the greater the value. The converse is also true.
Second, the age. Papercut Mizrach plaques dating from the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century are the most desirable, as these are the oldest examples from Eastern Europe that exist. However, they are extremely rare and generally are only found in museum collections. What typically appears in the marketplace are examples dated after 1825. Puzzlingly, there is somewhat of a stigma attached to a papercut Mizrach if it is dated later than 1899; there are exceptions of course, particularly if the piece is of a very high quality, but many collectors and institutions do not want to spend their funds on what would be described as a 20th-century-made Mizrach.
Third, the country of origin. Examples from the territory of Galicia – Eastern Poland and Western Ukraine – are the most desirable, as these examples tend to be the most beautiful visually, and can be profusely decorated with many creatures and densely packed imagery of flora and fauna. However, there is also significant interest in papercut Mizrachs that were made in the United States of America.
Scholars are aware of a number of Jews living in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who, for a fee, could be hired to create a papercut Mizrach plaque. These skilled artists were immigrants from Eastern Europe who learned their craft in the town or city of their birth, and subsequently practiced it in this country as a way to make a living (likely as a supplemental income). Some of these immigrants to America made very fine papercut Mizrachs, and a handful of them made what can only be described as masterpieces. Signed examples by the few well-known Jewish papercut makers who produced extraordinarily high-quality examples of papercut Mizrachs regularly command prices in the five figures when appearing for sale.
So, what qualities does your Mizrach have? It is of a pleasing format, featuring the aforementioned animals, a representation of the Temple Menorah, The Ten Commandments topped with the “priestly hands,” Stars of David, and more. In terms of how skillfully executed the making of the papercut itself is, on a scale of one to ten, I would say your example lands at around a seven. Your Mizrach is signed at the very bottom in tiny Rashi–style Hebrew script stating: “Made by David Aryeh, son of Yehoshua Friedman, in the year 1904.” It is of a size that is larger than what is generally seen, which makes it more desirable.
Last, but certainly not least, are those little circles, 49 in total, each labeled with one of the Hebrew phrases of the days of the Omer. This is the first time I can recall seeing a papercut Mizrach that includes an Omer calendar, for which the Torah commands us to count 49 days each year, from the second day of Pesach until the holiday of Shavuot. Omer counters and calendars have been a staple item of Judaica since at least the 18th century, and while examples of papercut Omer calendars are in museums and have appeared at auction, I cannot locate a papercut Mizrach that features an Omer calendar – your example is certainly most unusual. Even if, at some point, with extensive research, one or two papercut Mizrachs with an Omer calendar are located in museum collections and your example is not ultimately unique, this aspect of your Mizrach is extremely appealing.
As stated previously regarding age, the date of 1904 for the creation of your papercut Mizrach does hinder collector interest, but as you have shown direct lineage and proof that your great-grandfather was indeed in America when he created this papercut, I think this makes up for the downside of the 1904 date.
You have, without question, a rare Mizrach of significance and beauty made by your great-grandfather, who, until this very moment, was an unknown, unrecognized but highly skilled papercut artist living in Minneapolis. You sent me an image of his gravestone (which is a good start); however, if I were you, the first thing I would do is try to get copies of any and all government documents you can locate online or in official records housed in government buildings that list the exact date and location for when David Aryeh Friedman landed on American shores. This evidence of your great-grandfather living in America when he created the papercut Mizrach will add collector interest and monetary value to your piece.
Assuming you can locate said paperwork, I would place a value on your Mizrach of no less than $10,000-$15,000. At a specialized auction, I would not be surprised if the final result surpassed the higher amount stated.
My first column of Antique Judaica Roadshow in The Jewish Press was on December 24, 2018. Since that time, I have appraised numerous pieces of Judaica heirlooms in this column that Jewish Press readers have emailed me photos of. Your submission is the highest valued item that I have appraised lo these past seven years. Congratulations!
Best,
Tsadik