Hagadah shel Pesach - L’Haggadà Illustrata.

AUCTION 63 | Thursday, November 13th, 2014 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters, Graphic and Ceremonial Art

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Lot 109
(HAGADAH).

Hagadah shel Pesach - L’Haggadà Illustrata.

Finely illustrated by C. Kirchmayr with 58 copper-plates. Edited by Abraham Vita Morpurgo. Hebrew text with Italian translation. Musical arrangements on final leaf pp. (4), 64, (2). Usual staining, margin slightly frayed on a few leaves. With original blue wrapper at rear and bound into contemporary boards, previous owner’s gilt stamped central initials, worn. Folio. Yudlov 1217; Yaari 899

Trieste: Colombo Coen (Jonah Cohen) 1864

Est: $700 - $1,000
PRICE REALIZED $800
“The Trieste Hagadah is undoubtedly the most distinguished illustrated edition produced in Europe during the nineteenth century.” (Yerushalmi 102-105). Different in format and design from any edition that preceded it, the Trieste Hagadah’s engraved illustrations, though inspired by the iconographic themes of the past, display a welcome freshness of design. Two issues were published simultaneously, one entirely in Hebrew and the other accompanied by an Italian translation. A direct depiction of God appears on p. 52, a most unusual occurence in Jewish art: Moses kneels before the Burning Bush in which God’s bearded face is clearly discernible. See C. Roth, Printed Illuminated Haggadoth, in: Aresheth, Vol. III, pp. 27-8; British Library Exhibition Catalogue, Sacred (2007) p. 160.