Siddur, Chumash and Calendar in Spanish – Amsterdam, 1717-1718 – Elegant Binding with Decorations and Clasps

Siddur, Chumash and Calendar in Spanish – Amsterdam, 1717-1718 – Elegant Binding with Decorations and Clasps

Orden de las oraciones cotidianas: por estilo seguido con Hanucà, Purim, Ayuno del solo, y las tres Pascuas [Siddur for year-round and holiday prayer], followed by a calendar of Rosh Chodesh and holidays for the years 1717-1733 (with a divisional title page). Amsterdam: Shlomo Proops, 1717. Bound with: Los cinco libros de la ley divina [Chumash with Haftarot for the entire year], with a divisional title page for the Haftarot. Amsterdam: Shlomo Proops, 1718.

Siddur and Chumash with decorated title pages, both printed only in Spanish and meant for Marranos and members of the Spanish and Portuguese communities in Amsterdam.
Both works are elaborately bound, with four silver corner decorations and a pair of silver clasps. Additional silver decorations serve to connect the front and back bindings to the book's spine. All the decorations and clasps are gilt. Gilt edges, with floral and bird decorations on the edges of the leaves.

This binding is characteristic of the binding tradition existing in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, used particularly in the Netherlands, in binding Bibles and prayer books. This kind of binding is not particularly common in Jewish religious books, and we find instances of it particularly among the Spanish and Portuguese communities of Amsterdam.

Siddur: [16], 535, [13] pages. Chumash: 301, 304-412, 411-528 pages. 15.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Small open tear to one of the leaves, slightly affecting text. Minor damage to binding, fracture to spine. Placed in a fabric-covered case.

Provenance: Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, NHB.117; NHB.116; NHB.225.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.