Roman-Rite Machzor – Special Copy Printed on Blue Paper, Unique Exemplar – Mantua, 1556-1560

Roman-Rite Machzor – Special Copy Printed on Blue Paper, Unique Exemplar – Mantua, 1556-1560

Roman-rite machzor, Part I – with weekday, Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh prayers, and prayers and selichot from Chanukah until Shabbat Nachamu, Passover Haggadah, Shemonah Perakim by the Rambam and Tractate Avot with commentaries of Rashi and the Rambam; and Part II – with prayers for Elul and Tishrei festivals, selichot for public fast days and other prayers. Mantua: Meir son of Efraim of Padua and Venturin Ruffinelli, 1556-1560. Two parts in one volume (second part begins on leaf 117, without divisional title page).

This edition was printed based on the first edition of the machzor, Soncino-Casalmaggiore 1486, with corrections and some additions (such as Megillat Antiochus, added to Part I; and the confession for the deathbed added to Part II).

Special copy, printed on blue paper. As far as we know, this is a unique exemplar – the only one in the world.

Blue paper was introduced into Italian Hebrew printing early in the 16th century. Like vellum, it was used for preparing deluxe editions of books, which were printed in a limited number of copies for wealthy individuals (see: Brad Sabin Hill, Hebrew Printing on Blue and Other Coloured Papers, in: Otzrot Yaakov, Treasures of the Valmadonna Trust Library, London and New York 2011, pp. 84 ff).

On title page: "The labor was begun in Chanukah 1557". Colophon: "It was completed on Rosh Chodesh Sivan, 1560, here in Mantua…".

On last leaf, signature of censor "Domenico Gerosolimitano", dated 1597.

Stamps of Schocken library in Jerusalem.

Birth inscription on last leaf, in Italian script, dated 1668.

210 leaves. 26.5 cm. Varying condition of leaves. First leaves and additional leaves in fair condition, many leaves in good-fair condition. Stains, including wax stains. Tears and open tears, including large open tears to several leaves (mainly to first leaves), affecting illustrated title frame and text, repaired with paper, with photocopy text replacements to some leaves. Text affected in many places on first three leaves across length of margins, particularly on leaf 3; both sides of title page and recto of leaf 2 coated with paper. Worming, affecting text. Close trimming, affecting headers and text in several places. New leather binding. Slipcased.

Tractate Avot was also printed separately, in 1560. Rashi's commentary to Avot printed here appears in a unique version. The commentary on chapter 6, attributed to Rashi, is very similar to the commentary printed in Machzor Vitri, attributed to R. Yaakov son of R. Shimshon. See: M. A. Z. Kinstlicher, preface to Rashi's commentary on Avot, in: Tractate Avot with Commentary of Rashi, Bnei Brak 1992, pp. 11-15.

See further: A. Piattelli, Bibliography of Roman-Rite Machzorim and Siddurim, no. 19 (Hebrew).

Provenance:

1. Valmadonna Trust Library collection.

2. Schocken Collection, Sotheby's, London, December 1993.