In 1728 Meir Cohen Belinfante copied this decorated psalter from the 1670 printed edition by the Amsterdam printer of Hebrew and Spanish books, David de Castro Tartas, who was active between 1662 and 1698. The manuscript has a decorated title page, which depicts David, the psalmist, and Aaron, making a clear reference to the first name of the patron, whereas the bottom part of this page portrays a scene of the biblical Joseph, making a correlation with the patron's father, also named Joseph. All decorations, including the title page, were executed in brown ink similar to the text ink. At the end of the manuscript, there is a text by the corrector, Isaac Saruk, who praised the precision of the manuscript and wrote a poem in honor of the patron Aaron de Joseph de Pinto, from whom the manuscript takes its name.
Online Since: 10/13/2016
This thin little book with a gilt embossed leather binding contains the prayers for the celebration on the evening before the new moon; it was commissioned by Elieser (Lazarus) von Geldern in Vienna. Following convention, the title page shows Moses and Aaron. The writer and illustrator Nathan ben Simson from Meseritsch (Velké Meziříčí) in Moravia was among the most prominent artists of illustrated Hebrew manuscripts in the first half of the 18th century. Between 1723 and 1739, he created at least 23 such works.
Online Since: 12/20/2016