July-August 2009

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A new permanent gallery of religious art, focusing on sacred silver and stained glass from the medieval period to the present, opened at the Victoria and Albert Museum at the end of last year. The display (Fig. 1) consists of approximately 600 objects from the national collection of European stained glass and from the museum’s significant collection of British and European sacred silver, much of it on loan from parish churches. Funded through the generosity of the Whiteley Trust, the new displays are enhanced by commissions of contemporary work and loans from private lenders. The gallery includes a select number of Jewish ceremonial objects, shown in three thematic displays, ‘Jewish Worship’, ‘The Torah and its Ornaments’ and ‘Contemporary Judaica’, designed to foster a richer understanding of the significance and original context of the objects and the way they were used.

Ceremonial objects made of metal are important in the Jewish tradition and are used for worship in the home as well as in the synagogue. There is little published research on this material outside specialised collections, such as that of the Jewish Museum, London, and the V&A’s Judaica collection is not well known. The new displays are an opportunity to celebrate it, and to highlight new commissions.

Surviving Jewish ceremonial silver usually comes from places where Jews enjoyed relatively stable social, political and economic conditions. Objects in museum collections have in general been commissioned by patrons or were saved as prized family possessions by Jews cherishing their heritage. However, when Jews fled from pogroms or lived in difficult conditions, affordable substitutes, such as base metal or glass, were used for such objects as the cup used in the Kiddush ‘sanctification’, the statement that the Sabbath (Shabbat) has begun.

The V&A’s collection of Jewish art was begun in 1855 and now numbers approximately 100 objects. Drawn from all three major groups of world Jewry – Ashkenazi Jews, from northern and eastern Europe; Sephardim, from Spain; and Mizrahim, from the Middle East – the collection represents the more established Jewish communities from Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, eastern Europe and Britain. It consists primarily of objects from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a period when Jews were in a position to afford and commission silver.

The research undertaken for the new displays demonstrated that important geographical and historical events have influenced the style of Jewish ceremonial silver; it has also made evident the links between the production of Judaica, political status and economic wealth. The objects in the collection both provide a glimpse into the complex history of Jewish migration in Europe and explain how throughout the centuries Jewish ceremonial art assimilated local styles and contemporary fashions.

As early as 1887 the V&A was contributing to Jewish studies by lending pieces to the Anglo-Jewish Historical exhibition held that year at the Royal Albert Hall, London, which increased public awareness of the cultural importance of Jewish art. The museum has hosted two further exhibitions on Jewish art, ‘Anglo Jewish Art’ in 1956, in commemoration of the tercentenary of the resettlement of the Jews in the British Isles, and ‘Anglo Jewish silver’ in 1978. (1) Although the V&A has collected Jewish art mainly for its aesthetic qualities, the Judaica display in the new gallery reveals in depth the religious significance of these objects as well as their importance in the wider history of the applied arts.

Torah crown

probably Austrian, c. 1825. Gold, silver and gems, ht 17.8 cm.
On loan from the Gilbert Collection, London

Even though this crown was probably made in the early nineteenth century, its style reflects the previous century in its rich use of ornament, gemstones in cluster settings and eagles holding the bells. It is said to have come from the court of Rabbi Israel Ruzhin, a Hassidic leader, who was well-known for his opulent taste. He fled from Ruzhin in Russia (today it is in the Ukraine) to Austria, where the state chancellery granted him asylum in 1842. He may well have commissioned the piece while in Austria. A Torah crown adorns a Torah scroll when cloaked and not in use; it is placed over the Atzei Hayyim (Trees of Life), the staves on which the scroll is bound. Many interpret its use as a reference to the following rabbinic text: ‘Rabbi Shimon says “There are three crowns – the crown of Torah, the crown of royalty, and the crown of the priesthood – and the crown of a good name is above all of them”’ (Pirkei Avot 4:17).

Spice box
Spanish, thirteenth century. Gilt bronze, ht 15 cm.
No. 2090-1855

The earliest Jewish object in the museum’s collection is a thirteenth- century spice box from Islamic Spain, which is also a rare example of its type. It was bought in 1855 from the sale of the Bernal Collection.(2) Ralph Bernal (1783-1854), of Sephardi origin, was a member of parliament from 1818 to 1852 and a famous art collector.(3) The spice box was listed as a ‘reliquary’ in the sale catalogue and remained classified as such for many years by the museum. This is not surprising, as the form of this piece is very similar to Christian reliquaries. In Judaism, a box containing aromatic spices is used on the Sabbath for Havdalah (Separation), to conclude the holy day. The aroma of spices is thought to revive the soul after the departure of the special Sabbath (Shabbat) soul. The spice box’s tower shape incorporates local Moorish architectural details on a miniature scale, such as the distinctive arched windows. It demonstrates the artistic cross-currents in both forms and ornament between the Arabs, Christians and Jews in Islamic Spain between the ninth and the thirteenth centuries.

Pair of Rimmonim
by Abraham de Oliveyra (1657-1750), 1716. Silver, ht 51.5 cm. On loan from the Jewish Museum, London

After the exodus from Spain in 1492, many Jews fled to countries where they could maintain their faith. There they adopted local styles for their ceremonial objects. Many Spanish and Portuguese Sephardi Jews settled in Amsterdam, from where, in 1655, Rabbi Manasseh ben Israel travelled to London with a petition requesting the re-admittance of Jews to England. In 1656 Oliver Cromwell agreed to their return and permitted them to worship. From then on the Jewish community grew, with many Sephardi Jews from Gibraltar, Portugal and the Netherlands and later with Ashkenazi Jews from the Netherlands and Germany.

Members of the newly formed Anglo-Jewish community would have brought ceremonial silver with them from the Continent. They obtained silver for synagogal and personal use from British silversmiths, but it was also supplied by immigrant makers such as Abraham de Oliveyra, one of the first Jewish silversmiths to work in London, who came from the Sephardi Jewish community in Amsterdam.(4) Known to have been in London by 1697, De Oliveyra made a large amount of silver for London synagogues, including several pairs of rimmonim (Torah finials, literally ‘pomegranates’) for the Hambro synagogue, one of the first four Ashkenazi synagogues in London.

The Torah, the most sacred object in Jewish worship, is a scroll containing the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). It is covered by a cloth mantle or, in the case of Middle Eastern communities, a rigid case for its protection, and is often ornamented with a pair of finials (or a crown) and breastplate and is read with the assistance of a Yad (literally ‘hand’) pointer. The V&A has on loan this magnificent pair of rimmonim by De Oliveyra, made in 1716 before his mark was registered at Goldsmiths’ Hall. He is first mentioned as a small-worker in 1724-25 and as a large worker in 1739.(5) Each of the finials has tapering towers with bulbous domed shapes ornamented with egg and dart, inspired by contemporary classical architecture. Curved s-scrolls on each storey create a dynamic interplay between the architectural framework and the arcade-like opening with gilt bells.

Hanukkah lamp
by Jacob Marsh (active 1741-72), 1747-48. Silver,
ht 39 cm (including bucket 50 cm). No. m.1949.

De Oliveyra’s baroque style (above) contrasts with the work of Jacob Marsh (apprenticed 1726, free 6 November 1741), whose Hanukkah lamp is rococo in form and ornament. The elaborately chased surface of the wall sconce, with its eight lamps and Shammash (servitor lamp), is decorated with the period’s fashionable rocaille and shell motifs. It was commissioned by Solomon de Aaron Abecassis, who came to Britain from Gibraltar in the early eighteenth century. The initials of his grandparents, Jules and Lavina Abecassis, are engraved on the central cartouche. Marsh made several Hanukkah lamps (there is one in Bevis Marks, the Portuguese synagogue in the City of London), but the V&A’s example is the most elaborate, reflecting the fact that it is a private commission.

A Hanukkah lamp (or menorah) is used for the eight-day festival of Hanukkah, in November or December, which celebrates the victory of Judas Maccabeus and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BC. It has eight candles, one of which is lit on each day of the festival, so that all eight are alight on the final day. The eight lights are to remind the Jewish people of one of their most significant symbols, the first menorah in the Temple (which had seven branches): its oil miraculously lasted for eight days after the Temple had been re-dedicated by Judas Maccabeus.

Hanukkah lamp
Italian, sixteenth century. Gilt bronze,
ht 16.5 cm. No. M.419-1956..

Italy was an important destination for the migration of Jews in the immediate aftermath of the expulsion from Spain. This sixteenth-century Hanukkah lamp has a backplate with characteristically Italian renaissance ornament: symmetrical acanthus leaves, cornucopias and dolphins. In the centre, a grotesque figure and two putti support the coat of arms of Cardinal Inigo d’Avalos (cardinal 1561; grand chancellor of the kingdom of Naples 1562, died 1600).(6) The presence of his arms demonstrates gratitude towards the cardinal for his kindness to the Jewish community. The supporting lions, although typical renaissance motifs, here take on a new dynamic as a reference to the lion of Judah.

Jewish prayer book
by Aaron Schrieber of Gewitsch (Aaron ben Benyamin Ze’ev) (active 1724-52), written 1746-47 (cover 1784). Silver-gilt, parchment, watered silk and tortoiseshell, ht 7.5 cm. No. msl. 512-1868.

The integration of traditional Jewish values with contemporary local styles is seen in this miniature prayer book, which a middle-class Jew, Zalman ben Meir of Berlin, had bound in a tortoiseshell cover, probably to give to his bride to commemorate their wedding in 1784. The book was written in Vienna in 1746-47 by the scribe Aaron Schrieber (Herlingen) of Gewitsch, also known as Aaron ben Benyamin Ze’ev. From 1724 to 1752 he was busily engaged in the production of manuscripts, first in Pressburg and later in Vienna. As a calligrapher and illustrator at the imperial library in Vienna he held an important position and was considered to be one of the best scribes from the Moravian school for Hebrew manuscript production.(7)

The book contains 13 coloured miniature illustrations on vellum. The title page, illustrated here, depicts Aaron and Moses together with the text from Psalm 118, 20, ‘for this is the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter’. Other illustrated pages have prayers for grace after meals, and include three directives for women.

The tortoiseshell book cover is most unusual. Its silver-gilt inlay shows an amatory device with billing doves, Venus, the goddess of love, twin flaming hearts, cornucopias – symbolising abundance – and a lover’s knot, with fashionable piqué decoration on the back. The silver-gilt filigree mounts and clasp were probably made by a craftsman from Schwäbisch Gmünd, in southern Germany, a town well-known for its production of silver and filigree work. For economic reasons, its craftsmen moved to Austria: by 1785-86, 100 were registered as working in Vienna.(8)

Havdalah candlestick
by Roetger Herfurth, 1750. Silver, ht 30 cm. No. l 990

In general, in the Age of Enlightenment the status and living conditions of central European Jews grew, leading to a richer cultural life. In what is today Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, Jewish communities began to thrive and the production of ceremonial silver increased in such centres as Frankfurt-am-Main, Vienna and Prague.

Frankfurt-am-Main has one of the oldest Jewish communities in Germany. By the eighteenth century there were approximately 3,000 Jews living in its ghetto, which was not abolished until 1811. With their newly acquired freedom, Jewish families such as the Rothschilds engaged successfully in business and finance, and the Emperor’s protection of the Jewish community also offered them greater freedom of religious practice.

This Havdalah candlestick was made in Frankfurt-am-Main by Roger Herfurth. He became a master in 1748 and joined the Leschhorn family workshop, which was active for about a century.(9) The candlestick is a finely wrought piece in the form of a man dressed in typical Frankfurt costume of the period, standing on a bulbous base. In one hand he holds a spice box and in the other a cup of wine, which are symbolic of the blessings said during the Havdalah ceremony.

Ring
Central or eastern European, eighteenth century(?). Gold, diam 2.1 cm. No. 453-1873

Although contemporary fashions were adopted for much Jewish art, many traditional forms continued. This Jewish wedding ring bears a Prague tax mark of 1806-1807, a rare indication of a date and possible provenance on such a ring. Due to their adherence to a traditional form, Jewish marriage rings are difficult to date, and even more difficult to place.

On the ring’s bezel there is a three-dimensional representation of a Temple, which may signify either Solomon’s Temple or the Torah’s vision of the house as a symbol of the mutual life of the married couple.(10) Engraved on the hoop is the Hebrew inscription Mazal Tov (Good luck), an expression that suggests the Ashkenazi tradition. Jewish marriage rings of this type were often the property of the synagogue: the women would have worn the ring for the ceremony, and then returned it.

Set of Torah ornaments
by Gerald Benney (b. 1930), 1982 (rimmonim, 1995). Silver and silver gilt, ht of spicebox 19 cm; rimmonim 12 cm; Torah shield 12.7 cm; length of yad 17 cm. On loan from Edgar Astaire

In nineteenth-century Britain’s well-established Jewish community there was a large demand for Judaica, which was produced by silversmiths Simon Levy and Simon Harris of Exeter from 1813, George Unite in Birmingham from 1863-64, and in London Hester Bateman from 1780, George Smith and Thomas Hayter from 1801 and Joseph & Horace Savory in the late nineteenth century.

This tradition was revived by commissions in the second half of the twentieth century. In the 1960s, Gerald Benney, a former professor at the Royal College of Art, London, became renowned for his Judaica in the modern style for both synagogues and private use. One of his most exquisite pieces is this miniature Torah set, comprising a spice box, breastplate and yad, commissioned by Edgar Astaire in 1982 (the rimmonim were added in 1995). As this set reveals, Benney successfully translated traditional Jewish forms and symbols into a modern-day idiom.

Kiddush cup
by Tamar de Vries Winter (b. 1946), 2005.
Silver, enamel and gold foil, ht 9 cm. No. M.19-2005

Younger generations in Britain and abroad have continued the tradition of making Judaica in a contemporary style with an individual artistic interpretation. Among them is Tamar de Vries Winter, who was born in Israel and studied at St Martin’s School of Art, London. The V&A, through the generosity of the Kessler Foundation, commissioned a Kiddush cup from her to coincide with the opening of the gallery.

Her design, based on computer-aided design technology, shows the Hebrew letters from the words that translate as ‘creator of the fruit of the vine’, recited as part of the blessing over the cup of wine that is formally drunk as part of the sanctification of the Sabbath and festivals. The repetition of these letters on the vessel reflects the continuity of the prayer’s recitation on holy days year after year for more than two millennia.

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