Note that the catalog for this sale can be found online: www.kestenbaum.net.
FINE JUDAICA: PRINTED BOOKS, MANUSCRIPTS, AUTOGRAPH LETTERS & GRAPHIC ART TO BE SOLD AT AUCTION BY KESTENBAUM & COMPANY ON THURSDAY, APRIL 3RD AT 12:30 PM March 24, 2008--Kestenbaum & Company will conduct an auction of Fine Judaica at their Manhattan gallery on Thursday, April 3rd at 12:30 p.m. (please note the earlier auction time). The sale, comprising nearly 370 lots, covers a broad spectrum of categories and interests. In addition to the many selections of Anglo-Judaica, Bibles, Hagadahs, Illustrated Books, Religious, Liturgical and Chassidic Texts, there are numerous works focusing on 20th century Jewish History including those relating to the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel. One of the most noteworthy lots in the sale is from the Manuscript section: Moses Sofer's Pinkas Mattersdorf. This exceptional 18th century work, the earliest dated Aggadic manuscript on Torah written by the famous Chasam Sofer, includes six leaves written entirely in his hand. It is estimated at $150,000-200,000 [Lot 348]. Further standouts include an exquisite 18th century manuscript of Sermons by Saul Halevi Morteira of Amsterdam, estimate $10,000-15,000 [Lot 342], an autograph letter written by Joel Teitelbaum (the Grand Rabbi of Satmar) in 1948 to his nephew in Jerusalem, estimate $4,000-6,000 [Lot 349], and a collection of eleven Autograph Postcards written by Golda Meir in her youth in America, 1914-1918, at an estimate of $5,000-7,000 [Lot 337]. Also notable are an attractive penned Kabbalistic manuscript by Moses Cordovero, San'a (Yemen), 1865, estimate $1,500-2,000 [Lot 335], an autograph letter by Theodor Herzl, Austria, 1902, estimate $1,000-1,500 [Lot 332] and an autograph postcard sent by Shlomo Carlebach, Baden-Bei-Wien, 1933, estimate $400-600 [Lot 323]. From among a good selection of Anglo-Judaica featured in the sale are such items as: A handsomely bound copy of the first Jewish Prayer Book printed in England (Spanish language), 1740, estimate $4,000-6,000 [Lot 21], the first Hebrew-English Prayer Book printed in London, 1770, estimate $5,000-7,000 [Lot 24], a copy of the first specifically Jewish Act of Parliament post Re-Admission, estimate $4,000-6,000 [Lot 17] and a copy of a Parliamentary Act in 1858 that finally enabled Jews to take a seat in Parliament, estimate $600-800 [Lot 31]. Of great rarity are all three issues of the first edition of David Nieto's Mateh Dan-Cuzari, London, 1714, estimate $12,000-15,000 [Lot 248] and a Selection of Hebrew Melodies, With Symphonies & Accompaniments by the Anglo- Jewish singer and composer I. Braham & I. Nathan, London 1815, at an estimate of $1,500-2,000 [Lot 246]. Highlights among the Bible editions include an extremely rare 1555 miniature Book of Psalms from Sabbioneta, estimate $12,000-18,000 [Lot 55], a 1522 Constantinople edition of the Pentateuch, estimate $8,000-10,000 [Lot 53], a Polyglot Book of Psalmsthe first Hebrew book printed in Cologne and the first Biblical Polyglot with an Ethiopic translation, 1518, estimate $4,000-6,000 [Lot 52] and a beautiful copy of the Pentateuch issued by the Soncino Gesellschaft, Berlin, 1931-33, at an estimate of $2,000-3,000 [Lot 61]. A particularly strong selection of Hagadahs is being offered including an attractive copy of the famous 1712 Amsterdam Hagadah, estimate $10,000-15,000 [Lot 122], an Indian Hagadah, Poona, 1874, estimate $5,000-7,000 [Lot 138], and a beautifully-designed Hagadah illustrated by Anglo-Jewish artist Albert Rutherston, London, 1930, at an estimate of $6,000-8,000 [Lot 146]. Holocaust-related and post-Holocaust Hagadahs of note are the Toulouse Hagadah, written from memory by inmates of detention camps in South-West France in 1941, estimate $5,000-7,000 [Lot 147], a special edition of the Hagadah prepared for Jews serving in the U.S. Army of Occupation, Munich, 1946, estimate $6,000-8,000 [Lot 148], a Hagadah issued for the Jewish soldiers of the Palestinian Surveying Corps, attached to the British Army in Italy, 1946, estimate $2,000-3,000 [Lot 149] and a rare Hagadah from the Cyprus detention camps, 1948, estimate of $2,000-3,000 [Lot 156]. Important religious texts are well represented by a fine copy of the Babylonian Talmud, Masechta Zevachim, Venice, 1522, estimate $18,000-22,000 [Lot 264], a rare complete edition of Midrash Tehillim, Constantinople, estimate $15,000-20,000 [Lot 229], Nachmanides' Commentary to the Pentateuch, the first book printed in Lisbon, 1489, (incomplete) estimate $7,000-9,000 [Lot 244], and Judah ben Bezalel Loewe's (MaHaRa"L of Prague) Tiphereth Yisrael, Venice, 1599, at an estimate of $1,800-2,200 [Lot 224]. A highlight in the Liturgy section is a remarkable Venetian Machzor (Prayer Book), 1528-29, according to the Karaite custom estimated at $15,000-20,000 [Lot 210] while Shneur Zalman of Liadi's Tanya Likutei Amarim, the second edition of the fundamental exposition of Chabad Chassidism, Zolkiew, 1799, should also find favor with buyers. It is estimated at $12,000-15,000 [Lot 82]. A significant number of books with signatures of important individuals are being offered. Some examples include the R. Nathan Adler of Frankfurt copy of the Passover Hagadah, Amsterdam, 1764, estimate $3,000-5,000 [Lot 4], Mordechai Banet's copy of Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat, Homburg, 1742, estimate $2,000-2,500 [Lot 48], the R. Nachum Dov Ber Friedman of Sadigura copy of Or Yisrael, Czernowitz, 1862, estimate $600-900 [Lot 86] and Sir David Salomons' Prayer Book, London 1842 at an estimate of $400-600 [Lot 218]. Attractive illustrated books include Bernard Picart's striking The Ceremonies and Religious Customs of the Various Nations of the Known World, London 1731-1739, estimate $4,000-6,000 [Lot 303], Isidor Kaufmann's complete set of 16 color plates reproducing the artist's works, Vienna, 1925, estimate $3,000-5,000 [Lot 295], Arthur Szyk's The Temptation of Saint Anthony by Gustave Flaubert, Paris, 1926, estimate $3,000-4,000, and a rare book of Modern Hebrew Dance by Baruch Agadati, Tel Aviv, 1925, estimate $1,200-1,800 [Lot 290]. Also noteworthy are works by Max Liebermann and an important pictorial collection of the old Vilna ghetto. Holocaust-related material is underscored with a complete set of the historic Shearith Hapleitah Shas (Talmud), published under the auspices of the U.S. Army soon after the Liberation of Europe from Nazi tyranny, 1948, estimate $4,000-6,000 [Lot 171], a single broadsheet from the Palestine Post announcing "All Germans Surrender", Jerusalem 1945, estimate $500-700 [Lot 169] and an illustrated anti-Semitic children's book issued by the Stuermer-Verlag, Nurnberg, 1936 at an estimate of $2,000-2,500 [Lot 41]. State of Israel-related works include the League of Nations' formal Mandate for Palestine, London, 1922, estimate $1,000-1,500 [Lot 276], a Programme of a Jewish Demonstration to Thank His Majesty's Government for Their Declaration in Favour of the Establishment in Palestine of a National Home for the Jewish People, London, 1917, estimate $800-1,200 [Lot 274] and the Official Program of an International Soccer game between the Israel National Team vs. American League All Stars at Ebbets Field, New York, 1948, estimate $200-300 [Lot 260]. Also to be sold are Johann Jakob Schudt's "Jewish Curiosities", a valuable source of information concerning the Jews in 18th century Germany, Frankfurt, 1714, estimate $5,000-7,000 [Lot 110], two classics of Christian Kabbalah by the German philo-Semite Johannes Reuchlin, estimate $5,000-7,000 [Lot 198], Jules Ayer's rare Book of Finance relating to the London House of Rothschild, 1905, estimate $2,000-3,000 [Lot 104], N. McLeod's illustrated volume identifying the Shindai class of Japan as descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes, Kyoto, 1878, estimate $3,000-4,000 [Lot 194] and Henry A. Stern's Wandering among the Falashas in Abyssinia, London, 1862, estimate $1,000-1,500 [Lot 102]. Rounding out the sale is a fine collection of Graphic Art. Selections run the gamut from a watercolored papercut Omer Calendar, Breslau, 1876, estimate $10,000-15,000 [Lot 338] to paintings by noted artists: Saul Raskin, Hermann Struck, Mane-Katz, Lazar Krestin, Zalman Kleinman, Notta Koslowsky, Roman Kramsztyk, Alfred Lakos and Wilhelm Wachtel. For further information about the sale including bidding arrangements, please contact Jackie Insel at: 212-366-1197 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] The full catalogue can be viewed via our website at: www.Kestenbaum.net Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
