Devon, > I think there is some confusion going on here in terms of the word > "machine". The contraption on which Spanier Arbit is made looks like a big > round drum sitting on a platform. The platform has a vertical frame on it, > and the devices that hold the thread are looped over it. It may look like a > machine, but it is really an elaborate lace pillow. However, in an earlier
I agree. > post regarding the inquiry from an individual who seems interested in > manufacturing modern day Jewish ritual items, Avital told him that he would > either have to set up a sweat shop, or use very coarse materials or > "manufactured braid" for Spanier Arbit. > > So this is an interesting question, in itself. Would manufactured braid be > an acceptable alternative for Spanier Arbit? Is it being used now? The Are you talking about Jewish or non-Jewish items? Sure, it would be acceptable for Jewish items. There aren't many rules about this particular item, the collar of a tallit (prayer shawl). It's more a question of practicality. Manufactured braids and edgings are the norm. There are less common materials used, such as interlocking metal plates, needlepoint. Really, almost anything can be used. Currently, it appears that Spanier arbeit is not being used for tallitot. However, Spanier arbeit is being used for those elaborate Austrian head-dresses and the materials are available. I saw a few URLs in the PDF that Gabriele posted a link to. > Likewise, would Spanier Arbit made in a sweat shop in Asia be desirable to > the Jewish community, or does the appeal lie in its distinctive history? Just about everything else used by the Jewish community is made in sweatshops, unless you know what you're getting and buy it from someone who works by hand. It's not a question of authenticity for its own sake. Rather it's a question of purpose. If something is used for a mitzvah, i.e., for fulfilling a religious commandment, like tefillin (phylacteries) or mezuzah (parchment scroll at entryway) or a Torah scroll, it has to be made by someone who is obligated to keep the mitzvah/commandment, i.e., a male adult religiously observant Jew (there are a handful of exceptions that can be done by women but we'll ignore these for the time being). Even then, you have to be careful. If tefillin and mezuzahs in Jewish gift shops are suspiciously cheap, they may be photocopied or made by art students or even by non-Jews. For objects that aren't governed by these ritual requirements (examples are Shabbat candlesticks, menorah/hanukkah lights, Seder plate, challah cover, kiddush cups -- I'm sure there are lots more), it doesn't matter where they're made or who makes them. In fact, a friend who sells the work of a very popular Judaica artist (Emanuel) told me that the pieces are actually made in India because otherwise he could not make a profit. > "This was probably the only textile technique used solely by the Jewish > community", they say in the Laces from the Collections of the Jewish Museum > in Prague. (Although, in light Gabrielle's posting, this would seem to be > open to debate.) I think it's pretty clear, from the links that Gabriele posted, that Spanier arbeit is not solely used by Jews and that it's being made in Austria. Avital -- Blog: http://apinnick.wordpress.com Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spindexr - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
