TANG, ABRAHAM BEN NAPHTALI [ABRAHAMS]. Pirkei Avoth. The Sentences and Proverbs of the Ancient Fathers...Called Abouth...Translated into English with comments by Maimonides [and the translator]

AUCTION 43 | Thursday, April 02nd, 2009 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Hebrew Printed Books, Manuscripts, Graphic & Ceremonial Art

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Lot 27
(ANGLO-JUDAICA)

TANG, ABRAHAM BEN NAPHTALI [ABRAHAMS]. Pirkei Avoth. The Sentences and Proverbs of the Ancient Fathers...Called Abouth...Translated into English with comments by Maimonides [and the translator]

FIRST ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY. Signature of translator on recto of title pp. 44, 108. Some dampstaining, previous owners' signatures and stamps on title. Later boards, worn, spine chipped and cracked. 8vo Vinograd, London 68; Roth, London 29

London: (L. Alexander) 1772

Est: $1,000 - $1,500
PRICE REALIZED $1,000
The translator, the English scholar Abraham Tang (d. 1792) was a grandson of the Dayan of Prague, Abraham Tausig Neu-Greschel. Like his grandfather, the Author signed his name with the Hebrew initials TN”G, and is thus generally known as Tang (see p. xlii of the introduction). Tang wrote a number of other works, all unpublished, and his manuscripts were until recently in London (see A. Neubauer, Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts ...Jews’ College, London [i.e.the Beth Din Library], nos. 7 and 35). See also C. Roth, Essays...I. Brodie (1967) pp. 368-72; and S.B. Leperer in JHSE Transactions Vol. 24 (1974) pp. 82-88. In addition to his Rabbinic knowledge, Tang was an enlightened scholar, well familiar with secular writings. He cites “a noble passage of my countryman, Milton” as an introduction to a comment by Maimonides (p. 24 of the introduction). Tang was also a fine scribe and artist, and produced an illuminated Hagadah presently in the Jewish Museum, London. See R. D. Barnett, Catalogue of the Jewish Museum (1974) no. 638, pp. 124-5, plate C1