Leilão Bidspirit | Shemirah for a Child, for

Shemirah for a Child, for Good Luck – Zhitomir – Shapira Press, 1855 – Bibliographically Unknown - Printed leaf, Shemirah for a child, for good luck, with Tehillim 121, Holy Names and other Shemirah texts. Zhitomir: Shapira brothers, 1855. Unique and especially rare Shemirah leaf, printed in Zhitomir by the Shapira brothers, bibliographically unknown. The top of the leaf features the words ”Shemirah for a child” within a decorated frame surrounding the text; at the center, in larger letters, ”for good luck”. This is followed by Tehillim 121, ”I lift my eyes to the mountains”. Below this are Holy Names and other Shemirah texts, including the names of the forefathers and foremothers, the verse ”Do not let a witch live” (Shemot 22:17) in various permutations, and more. At the bottom of the leaf, under the printed frame, is a printed caption in Russian, in Cyrillic script, with a transliteration of the Hebrew title, followed by a free translation in Russian. This is followed by the printing location (Zhitomir), the printers (”the Shapiro brothers”), and the censor's license, as well as a serial number given by the censor Orest Novitskiy (Орест Маркович Новицький), a philosopher and professor at the University of Kiev who served as official censor of the Kiev censorship committee (license dated 5 October 1855). [1] leaf. 20.5X13.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Minute punctures and open tears (open tears to bottom right margins), slightly affecting text, repaired with paper filling. Right margins trimmed. The famous Shapira press, founded in Slavita and later relocated to Zhitomir, focused on important religious literature, including Talmud and Zohar editions, as well as Chassidic books and various siddurim. No independent Shemirah leaves such as the present one are known to have been printed at this press throughout its entire existence. The present item is an unknown copy, and seemingly the only extant one.