April 8, 2005—Buyers
responded eagerly to Kestenbaum & Company’s auction that
included the library of noted historian, bibliophile and beloved
teacher, Abraham Joseph Karp on Tuesday, April 5th. Professor Karp
was influential in the world of the Jewish Book and was a pioneering
scholar in the field of American Jewish History. Featured in the
sale were many fine examples of early printed Hebrew books, Bibles,
Hagadahs and attractive bindings along with a small group of graphic
art.
The top lot of the sale was an eye-catching micrographic Sephirath
Ha’omer Chart, possibly Dutch. After heavy bidding in the
room and on the phones, it was ultimately purchased for $134,800.
Another coveted lot was a fine crisp copy of the Bible in Hebrew
printed by Daniel Bomberg, Venice, 1524-5. One of the best of a
selection of Bibles in the sale, competitive bidding pushed the
selling price up to $118,000 against a pre-auction estimate of $30,000-40,000
Further books achieving high prices were a rare Passover Hagadah,
the first to be printed with an English translation, London, 1770,
that realized $63,720 against an estimate of $15,000-18,000; a rare
edition of Maimonides’ Ma’amar Tehiyath ha-Methim (treatise
on Resurrection), Constantinople, 1569, which brought in $61,360
against an estimate of $20,000-30,000; and Schneur Zalman of Liadi’s
book of Chaddidism--Sepher Likutei Amarim, Slavuta, 1796. This first
book to lay out the philosophy of Chabad Chassidism was highly sought
after and garnered $59,000 against an estimate of $30,000-50,000.
Additional sale highlights were a rare compendium of papal bullae,
“Diverse Papal Bullae Commencing with Boniface VII through
Paul IV” including several directed against the Jews, Rome,
1559, which sold for $35,400 against an estimate of $20,000-25,000;
Joseph Gikatilla’s book on Kabbalah, Portae Lucis (Gates of
Light), Augsburg, 1516, which realized $33,040 against an estimate
of $25,000-30,000, and Don Isaac Abrabanel’s Perush Nevi’im
Rishonim (commentary to Former Prophets), Pesaro, 1511 which was
bought for $20,060 against an estimate of $15,000-20,000.
Rounding out the sale in the graphics section was the earliest Biblical
painting done by an American Jewish artist--Solomon Nunes Carvalho.
The framed painting entitled Moses Before the Amalakites, oil on
board, America, ca. 1848-1852, achieved $37,760 against a pre-sale
estimate of $25,000-30,000.
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