Unfortunately some of the artists who created masterpieces in manuscripts or silver are known only by their country’s name.
Another area of collecting is the printed book. The first Hebrew printed books arrived on the market shortly after 1447 when Guttenberg invented the printing press. These rare prints, the so-called “incunabula,” command the highest prices. The later printings, Haggadot like that which was illustrated in Mantua, Italy in the first half of the 16th century, appear on the market very infrequently. In fact, the first illustrated Haggadah, the famous Prague Haggadah (1527), exists only in 3-4 samples. However, the famous Amsterdam Haggadah, the first edition with the map of Palestine (1615), and its second and third editions are very popular. As are the London Haggadot from the late 18th to the early 19th century.
The beautiful Venice Haggadah with its several editions is also highly desirable. This is a vast and rewarding field of collecting.
Then there is Jewish Folk Art, another splendid subject for collectors in all its various manifestations (according to the cultural milieu from which they developed), from Eastern Europe to North Africa and the Mideast.
Do keep in mind that in antique Judaica – with the exception of books and manuscripts – we are dealing primarily with objects from the 17th century to the 20th. Surely ritual objects were made in earlier periods as well, but due to the vicissitudes of the Jewish fate their disappearance is understandable.
Now a few words about the history of collecting Judaica….
The first know collector of Judaica was a Court Jew from Brunswick, Germany by the name of Alexander David; he donated his collection to his synagogue in the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, several private collections formed the seed of Jewish museums in a number of European cities – for example, the famous Straus collection of Judaica from Paris went to the Cluny Museum. The Vienna Jewish Museum, the Berlin Jewish Museum, the Dresden Jewish Museum and the New York Jewish Museum were established in a similar manner.
New York’s Jewish Museum received substantial material from Dr. H.G. Friedman until his death in the early 60’s. Such was his passion for collecting Judaica that even from his deathbed he sent his secretary to me to bring him an interesting piece of Judaica.
In future columns we will discuss the auction market, and updates of the “goings on” in this very interesting field of which I have been a part of for the past 60 years. I also hope to share with you some adventures from the chase of rare pieces.
