The present catalogue includes an extensive chapter dedicated to Bezalel artists, including illustrated books, various objects, drawing and paintings. This chapter features numerous original sketches for works by Ze'ev Raban - Raban's sketchbook (lot 318), sketches for illustrations to the Song of Songs (lot 320), sketches of the signs of the Zodiac (lot 327), a large collection of photographs of works by Raban and Meir Gur Aryeh (lot 344), and many other unique items from the estate of Shlomo Kedmi, who succeeded Raban and Gur Aryeh in the Industrial Art Studio.
The chapter dedicated to Hebrew children's books features charming works by prominent writers and illustrators: stories by Benzion Raskin illustrated by Uriel Kahana, Chaim Hanft and Haim Goldberg; poems by Itzhak Katzenelson illustrated by Gertrud Caspari; rhymes by Ya'akov David Kamson illustrated by Else Wenz-Viëtor; children's book published by "Omanut", with color lithograph illustrations by "Chavurat Tsayarim" (Apter, Mutzelmacher, Kravtsov and Higer); pop-up books illustrated by David Gilboa; and other rare books.
The avant-garde chapter features Yiiddish, Hebrew and Russian books, with illustrations and cover-designs by important Russian avant-garde artists such as El Lissitzky, Joseph Chaikov, Issachar Ber Ryback, Mark Epstein and Nathan Altman.
The catalogue further features a variety of choice items representing the history of Palestine and Zionism, bibliophile works, letters, travelogues and maps of Palestine, photographs, postcards, rare Ladino periodicals, works by Safed-based artist Yosef Zvi Geiger, bibliophile works, a chapter dedicated to numismatics, and many more items.
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LOTE 300:
The Tamid Offering – Drawing by Yosef Zvi Geiger (1870-1944) – Safed, Late 19th or Early 20th Century
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The Tamid Offering – Drawing by Yosef Zvi Geiger (1870-1944) – Safed, Late 19th or Early 20th Century
"This is the fire offering which you shall offer to the Lord", drawing by Yosef Zvi Geiger (1870-1944). [Safed, late 19th or early 20th century].
Pencil and ink on paper. Stamp of Geiger's estate.
The verse describing the Tamid offering, "This is the fire offering which you shall offer to the Lord" (Numbers 28:3) is inscribed in neat calligraphic script at the top of the page. The High Priest, clad in his eight priestly garments, is depicted in the center, holding a pan of coals in one hand and a knife in the other, beside the Outer Altar. Two rams stand before the altar. Houses are seen on the right and the Temple site on the left, with a hilly landscape in the background. Fine foliate border (unfinished). A dove bearing an olive leaf in its beak is penciled outside the border. Other penciled inscriptions.
34X28.5 cm. Good condition. Minor closed tears and open tears (slightly affecting lower part of drawing), repaired in part (with strips of paper on verso). Minor creases.
Yosef Zvi Geiger (1870-1944), native of Safed. One of the most prominent public figures in Safed. He served as general secretary of Safed's "Kolel" institutions, and his home was a regular meeting place for the "gaba'im" (managers) of the various Kolelim and congregations. The Yishuv's newspapers – including "Havatzelet, " "HaLevanon, " and "HaZefirah" – regularly published his articles. He also served as a scribe for the Kolelim, and assisted illiterate members of the community by writing letters on their behalf. Geiger was renowned in Safed for being both a gifted scribe and talented painter, entrusted with producing beautifully scripted documents. Among his extant works are splendid "Mizrah" and "Shiviti" plaques, calligraphic and illustrated title pages for "donors books, " certificates for donors and greeting letters, as well as papercuts in the Eastern European style. His contemporaries remember beautiful marriage contracts he produced for the city's couples, decorated with gilt lettering and floral and vegetal designs; and artworks he created to decorate the walls of the local synagogues, including gilt-lettered plaques. Among his many special talents was his ability to inscribe micrographic texts onto grains of wheat; he could fit several verses from the Bible onto a single grain. In the (Hebrew) book of memoirs by Yosef Zvi's grandson, Benjamin Geiger, entitled "One of the Elders of Safed, " Benjamin writes that his grandfather also specialized in engraving in stone (and engraved several headstones in Safed). Benjamin also relates that Yosef Zvi was a lover and champion of the Hebrew language, and in his efforts to promote the language he would put up signs with words in Hebrew on the walls of study rooms and yeshivas throughout the town, so that children would get to know these words. He personally taught the language to his children and grandchildren, ensuring they would become fluent.
