Our late Spring Judaica auction is a diverse one. 

Its highlights however are quite unique, being the personal properties of men of great renown.

The auction-catalogue front cover features a German mid-19^thcentury  silver Havdalah Compendium. Its engraved Hebrew inscription testifies that it was presented in 1841 to the great leader of German Orthodoxy, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch by his mother. The item has remained in the family down to this very day (Lot 203, estimate $20,000-30,000).

Also featured in the auction is personal property received directly from Prof. Albert Einstein that has remained in the owner’s personal possession since Einstein’s death in 1955 and is now consigned to Kestenbaum for auction sale. These include a childhood toy, a portrait and fine household items (Lots 145 – 148, estimates range from $1,000-6,000). Full provenance details are provided in the catalogue.

The full range of Judaica subject matter is featured in this auction including historical texts written in native languages pertaining to the Jews of Denmark, France, Germany, India, Norway and Peru.

The section of American-Judaica (Lots 1 – 28) includes the rare prayer (1776) recited in London’s Spanish & Portuguese synagogue (Bevis Marks) in support of King George III in opposition to the American rebels (Lot 3, est: $30,000-50,000); and Brackenridge, Worthington & Tyson’s Speeches on the Jew Bill in the House of Delegates in Maryland (1829) an exceptionally important text for the achievement of full civil rights for Jews in the United States (Lot 4, est: $5,000-7,000).

Among Early Printed Books are three incunabula: Rabbeinu Bechaye’s Commentary to the Pentateuch (Naples, 1492); the Arba’ah Turim (Soncino, 1490) and Peretz Trabot’s Makrei Dardakei, Naples, 1488 (lots 42, 89 and 96). Later books of note include a first edition of the Hebrew book of fables Mishlei Shu’alim, Mantua, 1557 (lot 54, est: $5,000-7,000); Joseph Franco Serrano’s Spanish translation and commentary to the Torah, Amsterdam, 1695 (lot 97, est: $4,000-6,000) and a first edition of R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi’s Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Kopust, 1814-16 (lot 46, est: $30,000-40,000).

Autograph Manuscripts and Letters include those from such important rabbinic leaders as the Abir Ya’akov-R. Ya’akov ibn Masoud Abuhatzeira, R. Solomon Bamberger, the Ben Ish Chai, R. Moshe Feinstein, R. Chaim Ozer Grodzenski, the Seridei Eish, the Chofetz Chaim, the Chasam Sofer, the Beis Ephraim, Rav Kook, R. Zadok of Lublin and R. Samson Raphael Hirsch – including letters from his father, his mother and his wife (see lots 129 – 143).

Striking, is an extraordinary suite of 24 individually illuminated scrolls written on vellum (c. 1930), each of which represents one of the Books of the Bible. This stems from the collection of the late Edward Reichmann of Montreal / Jerusalem (lot 124).

A most unusual papercut Marriage Contact of miniature proportions (Krol Erman, 1907) should also be taken note of (lot 144).

A collection of Holy Land maps represents Lots 149 – 165, leading into the section of Fine & Graphic Art (lots 166 - 196) that includes works by Priechenfried, Weinles, Steinhardt, Ryback, Ilya Schor, Janco, Ticho, Agam and Huvy. Two fine photographs by Vishniac are also of note (lots 184 – 185).

The section of Ceremonial Judaica opens with four important objects created by Ludwig Wolpert (Lots 198 – 201); and also includes a magnificent Bohemian Torah Ark curtain dated 1758 (lot 204); a fine 18^th-century Continental gold wedding ring (lot 205); an elaborate 19^th-century Italian silver amulet (lot 206); and an exceptional terracotta plaque created by Zev Raban in 1914 (lot 223).

For further details concerning any lot, including bidding advice, please contact Zushye Kestenbaum at [email protected]