Sha’arei Rachamim … [Techinah prayers]

Though unsigned, this exquisitely penned, single parchment leaf is closely related to the known works of Meshulam Zimmel ben Moses of Polna. Zimmel is acknowledged as the scribe and artist of some thirty manuscripts produced between 1714 and 1756, however fourteen of these, including the present volume, do not bear his signature. He is perhaps best known for his masterful imitation of the technique of copperplate engraving and occasionally refers to himself explicitly as an engraver. Celebrated for the accomplished delicacy of his line, Zimmel is especially skilled in his depictions of naturalia, as witnessed here by the intricately drawn backgrounds in the four individual letter miniatures which comprise the initial word panel, and the two sunflowers, on either side. The 18th century, a time when many European Royal Courts employed favored Jews as advisors on economic and diplomatic affairs, was also, not coincidentally, the finest era of Hebrew manuscript production. The emergence of a new Jewish elite of Court Jews (or Hofjuden) freed these men and their families from the restrictions normally imposed upon Jews, and often brought them wealth and power and a place within the most rarefied cultural spheres of Europe. Though they were often wary of conspicuous displays of wealth, these men often commissioned the creation of small, beautifully executed manuscripts as gifts for their fiances, wives, or daughters.