London, Shlomo Zalman. Tikun Shlomo [Prayers for weekday and Sabbath]

Dutch Illuminated Manuscript of Incomparable Beauty The prayerbook Tikun Shlomo edited by R. Shlomo Zalman London was first brought out by Naphtali Herz Levi Rophe in Amsterdam in 1733 (Vinograd, Amsterdam 1421). The artist’s delicate and tasteful use of color, as well as his painstaking attention to detail (including micrography) suggest the work of a consummate master. The additional title between the traditional architectural columns informs us that the work was executed by Menachem Menle son of Jacob Menkes of Lvov, of blessed memory, son-in-law of the Rabbi, the Gaon, the great luminary who was Av-Beth-Din and Resh Methivta of Frankfort-on-Oder, author of Porath Yoseph, Ginath Veradim and Peri Megadim on Orach Chaim and Yoreh De’ah. [The allusion is to Rabbi Joseph Te’omim (1727-1792). Te’omim was a native of Lvov and succeeded his father as rabbinic judge in Lvov before accepting the rabbinate of Frankfort-on-Oder in 1781. His work Peri Megadim is a classic in rabbinic studies. See N.Z. Friedmann, Otzar Harabanim, p.183, no. 8686; EJ, Vol. XV, cols. 1011-2.] On the verso of the additional title, we have a design reminiscent of those found on the carpet pages of medieval Hebrew illuminated manuscripts. (See eg. the famous carpet page of the Damascus Keter, done in 1260, probably in Toledo, Spain. Facsimile in EJ, Vol. IV, facing col. 844.) The design consists of several concentric rectangles surrounded by eight curlicues. Nested throughout are verses from Psalms bespeaking devotion to the study of Torah. Opposite the title is a most ornate multicolor seven-branched Menorah with verses from Numbers 8:2, 3 and some Kabbalistic codes. The title proper gives the name of the author Shlomo Zalman London, as well as a breakdown of the contents - again between architectural columns, with grape clusters at top. The verso of the title contains the prayer “Mah Tovu” to be uttered upon entering the synagogue. Atop the architectural columns are pyramidal torchères and a rosette. The first words of many prayers are done in colored inks: ochre, green, pink, maroon, blue, yellow. In addition, headpieces and tailpieces are occasionally added for embellishment. On f.32r. we have a chart for Counting the Omer which is a superb example of micrography, against a strong geometric design, floriated, with rosettes at top and seashell at bottom. On f.34v. The initial of Shir ha-Shirim [Song of Songs) is floriated. On ff. 43v. and 46r. each letter of the first word of the prayer is placed in a floriated vignette. On f.109r. at the conclusion of the book, we again have the seashell design, flanked by flowers, and the customary initials T[am] V[e-nishlam] S[hevach] L[e-Kel] B[orei] O[lam] [Completed, praise to the Creator of the World]