The Haggadah. Executed by Arthur Szyk. Edited by Cecil Roth.

AUCTION 54 | Wednesday, March 21st, 2012 at 1:00

Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts Autograph Letters, Graphic & Ceremonial Art

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Lot 146

(HAGADAH).

The Haggadah. Executed by Arthur Szyk. Edited by Cecil Roth.

<<One of 125 Numbered Copies Produced for the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Printed Entirely on Vellum, Richly Illustrated in Color by Szyk.>> Full- and half-page color half-tone reproductions of compositions by Szyk, including numerous decorative initials, text ornaments and many small vignettes. Pictorial doublures on silk. Bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe: Royal blue levent morocco, gilt-tooled pictorial inlay. Housed in original matching solander-case, velvet interior. Text in Hebrew and English printed in black and sepia. Signed by the Artist and Editor. Corners of box bumped. Folio. Yudlov 3861; Yaari 2285.

London: Beaconsfield Press 1939-40

Est: $30,000 - $40,000

PRICE REALIZED $25,000

<<The most artistically sublime of all Passover Hagadahs.>> Dedicated to King George VI of England, Szyk’s great illuminated masterpiece is a stunning work of the Book-Arts, conceived by the publishers with extraordinarily high production values. “A monument of sacred art and beautiful craftsmanship. The work represents the acme of book-production and color-printing of our age… (It) will remain… long after other creations of the 20th century have disappeared.” (Stanley Morrison, Hagadah Prospectus). “The Times Literary Supplement recognized Szyk’s masterpiece as one of the most beautiful works ever produced by human hands. When one considers the brilliant multi-layers not only of illumination and color, but of themes and sub-themes, Szyk’s Haggadah stands among Hebrew illuminated manuscripts in a moment in time, for all time, in a class by itself.” I. Ungar, Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk (1998) p. 15. See also J. P. Ansell, Arthur Szyk: Artist, Jew, Pole (2004) pp. 96-100.