Plaque, Handwritten and Illuminated – Sukkah Decoration – Germany, 18th Century

Plaque, Handwritten and Illuminated – Sukkah Decoration – Germany, 18th Century

Illuminated sukkah plaque, with the text of the prayer recited upon entering and exiting the sukkah. [Presumably Germany, 18th century].
Ink and paint on paper.
Leaf – handwritten and illuminated plaque, with the text of the prayer recited upon entering the sukkah. The prayer occupies the center of the leaf, inscribed in square characters in sepia ink. The text is set in a wide architectonic border comprised of a pair of tall pillars with vases of fruit and flowers, a pair of jugs with trees, rocaille and other rococo vegetal motifs – all hand-illustrated and colored. A sukkah is depicted at the top of the leaf, with a dome-shaped roof comprising branches, and elegantly clad figures sitting inside (two additional figures in contemporary dress outside the sukkah). This depiction of the sukkah bears a great resemblence to a woodcut appearing in "Sefer HaMinhagim", printed in Amsterdam (1768). At the foot of the leaf, in a decorated medallion, additional prayer recited on the last day of Sukkot.
The illustration is signed in the lower margin (signature indistinct): "gezeichnet v. P. A. Lof----" [drawn by…]. The present plaque was presumably inspired by a printed Sukkah plaque (engraving), printed in Germany in the 18th century; the illustrations were accurately reproduced, including the fine lines seen in the original engraving. Compare: Sotheby's, 17 December 2013, item no. 115 (additional copy in the JTS library).

37X30 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Folding marks, tears and creases. Marginal open tears. Minor tears affecting text.

Reference:
1. Geschichten von Gegenständen, by Eva Grabherr. Tel Aviv, Jüdisches Museum, 1994, pp. 146-147.
2. Skies of Parchment, Seas of ink: Jewish illuminated manuscripts, edited by M. Epstein. Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2015, p. 200.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 038.011.004.
This item is documented on the Center for Jewish Art (CJA) website, item no. 48977.