March 3, 1998

Fine Judaica: Books, Manuscripts and Works of Art
The Library Of The Late Rabbi Dr. Leonard C. Mishkin and
Property Sold To Benefit The Jewish Museum, New York, Fine Arts Acquisition Fund

This auction contained an assortment of pleasant surprises as so many of the 384 lots far exceeded expectations. The working library of the late Rabbi Dr. Leonard C. Mishkin, featuring over 5000 scholarly volumes, sold for just over $150,000 against an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. Every one of the 97 shelf lots sold, from Art to Zunz. Equally satisfying was the success of a small, but highly prized, collection of Sephardic Literature.

Highlights of this sale included:

• An extremely rare 17th century Hagadah from Livorno, Orden dela Hagadah de Noche de Pascoa de Pesah, printed entirely in Spanish for use by the Marrano community, estimated to bring $10,000 to $12,000, sold for $28,750.
• A vitally important historical chronicle, Samuel Usque’s Consolacam as Tribulacoens de Israel, printed in Amsterdam, c.1599, estimated to bring $8,000 to $10,000, reached $31,050.
• A Hebrew Festival Prayer-Book printed in the Bavarian village of Thannhausen in 1594, of which all copies were confiscated by the Church and almost all destroyed, sold for $39,100
• An unusual early 19th century Viennese Silver Charity Container, with a dedicatory inscription by Mendel Rosenbaum to commemorate the circumcision of his son, brought $6,900

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Liturgy, Thannhausen 1594, one of only five
copies extant, sold for $39,100