The Birds' Head Haggadah – Facsimile Edition Published by Tarshish – Jerusalem, 1965-1967

The Birds' Head Haggadah – Facsimile Edition Published by Tarshish – Jerusalem, 1965-1967
"The Bird's Head Haggada of the Bezalel National Art Museum in Jerusalem". Two volumes. Jerusalem: Tarshish Books (printed by Kunstanstalt Max Jaffe), 1965-1967.
A color facsimile edition, printed on heavy, high-quality paper, of the illuminated Birds' Head Haggadah manuscript (Germany, ca. 1300). Two volumes: facsimile volume (printed in 1965) and an introductory volume edited by Moshe Spitzer (printed in 1967; English).
The colophon of the facsimile volume reads: "Printed in collotype by Kunstanstalt Max Jaffe in Vienna and published in 600 numbered copies as the first publication of the L. A. Mayer Library for Beth David Solomons by Tarshish books Jerusalem". This copy is numbered 315.
The Birds' Head Haggadah is the earliest German illuminated Haggadah known to be produced as an entity separate from the prayer book. It is unique for its extraordinary illustrations – human figures with birds' heads; perhaps the illustrator's attempt to circumvent prohibition against making a graven image – "Thou shalt not make for thyself any carved idol, or any likenes". Most of the figures are depicted wearing the "Jews' hat" (the conical hat the Jews of Germany were required to wear). The illustrations depict various biblical scenes, holiday customs and images of the Redemption.
Volume I: [48] leaves. Volume II: 126, [1] pp. + 31 plates (numbered 129-159). 28 cm. Good condition. Elegant one-eighth vellum, gilt stamped, with gilt stamped leather title label; in the original slipcases. Minor blemishes to bindings and cases.