How to Collect Jewish Art

...In examining an object, careful attention should be paid to whether all of its parts form a stylistic unit...

...But care must be taken to distinguish between a genuine bargain and a look-alike copy offered at below-market price...

...Sally Kirchstein (1869-1930) assembled a collection of ceremonial art, part of which was purchased by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations in 1926 and now forms the nucleus of Los Angeles' Skirball Museum collection...

...The answer depends on taste, interests, and certainly, one's pocketbook...

...Di Kallah is tzu shain (the bride is too beautiful), the Yiddish expression of doubt at the marvelous description of the shadchan, should be borne in mind...

...As for Kiddush cups and Sabbath candlesticks, neither is ordinarily recommended for starters— because, for the most part, neither is Jewish...

...3. Buy only museum-quality art...

...As for "putting one over" on your seller—forget it...

...These supposedly pre-Spanish expulsion Jewish "treasures" have been discovered" in shops in Madrid, Cordova, Malaga and Barcelona and even in New York and Tel Aviv, and now "decorate" vitrines in many private homes and Temple museums...

...Now dealers are buying up old pewter and engraving Hebrew inscriptions and art work on them...

...It does mean using the standards of a good museum to determine what should be included in the collection...

...Au contraire...

...By knowing actual prices and values...

...Ignorance of Jewish history and Judaism's traditions and ceremonies...

...One or two are exceptional craftsmen, and examples of their forgeries occupy places of honor in the finest public and private Judaica collections as genuine masterpieces...

...subscribe to Jewish Art (P.O.B...

...Auction sales may provide excellent opportunities...

...A beautiful old italian Ketubah can cost thousands...

...Old picture post cards and prints are also readily available at low cost...

...None of these objects, of course, is required in order to live a full Jewish life, for any cup or candlesticks will do for the Sabbath, any eight lights are sufficient for the Chanukah lamp, and one can get by without having an Esther scroll...

...But bear in mind that these will not rise in value as will genuine antiques...

...Increasingly, people see it as a way of creating a positive Jewish atmosphere in the home...

...He should, of course, have a solid reputation and be knowledgeable...

...While their quality level is usually abysmally poor, they actively compete for the lower-priced items...

...The Catalogue of the Jewish Museum, London, edited by R. D. Barnet (Harvey Miller, London— about $30...

...Or all of these can cost many times these sums...

...This brings us to the most fanciful Judaica forgery of all—the infamous "Marrano Cup," or "Ritual Container," an object proudly shown as the piece de resistance of Judaica collections almost as frequently as are examples from "pre-Inquisition Spain...

...Familiarize yourself with their contents...

...In 1896, David Kaufman, a noted scholar and collector of Hebrew manuscripts organized a shortlived "Society for the Study of Artistic Objects Used in Jewish Worship" in Vienna...

...It is only by becoming knowledgeable that a collector will be able truly to enjoy the beautiful and significant objects of the Jewish artistic heritage— and to use his collection as an entrance to that heritage...

...While few collectors buy Jewish art for investment per se— although Judaica has certainly proved itself over the years to be an excellent investment—collectors are quite properly interested in the long-term increase of the value of the art they buy...

...Public museums and university libraries also compete for Judaica...

...Good Judaica auctions have been few and far between...

...This is the unfortunate situation at one mid-Western U.S...

...Old amulets can be bought for between $25 and $100...

...Ephraim Benquiat's collection of Jewish ceremonial art, brought to the United States from Smyrna, was exhibited for some years at the Smithsonian Institute where it was cataloged by Cyrus Adler...

...There were few collectors and little competition...

...The ceremonial objects are often appropriately engraved with Hebrew inscriptions (no doubt meant to inform one and all that the owner is a genuine Marrano and should immediately be put to the stake...

...Moreover, collectors discover to their delight that Jewish ceremonial art was used primarily in the home and that along with majestic Torah ornaments of rare splendor and beauty in the synagogue, there are Chanukah lamps of bronze and silver, beautiful illuminated marriage contracts and Mizrach tablets, decorated Esther scrolls and illustrated Passover Haggadot—all created with the Jewish family in mind...

...Second-hand or "junk" shops and religious supply stores in old Jewish residential areas have long been favorite hunting grounds for collectors...

...Back To Collecting 1. Visit the better Jewish museums as often as you can—among them— the Jewish Museum of New York, the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, the Museum of the Hechal Shlomo, Jerusalem, The Jewish Museum, London, the Skirball Museum, Los Angeles, the Judah Magnes Museum, Berkeley...

...Buying "museum-quality" does not mean "buying expensive pieces...

...Don't start with alms boxes bought for a few hundred dollars and expect that you are getting genuine antiques...

...Marriage rings and amulets are also popular objects of Judaica forgery...

...Bidding on behalf of the Israel Government, I could feel the tension present in the Baur au Lac Hotel during the historic sale as price records were shattered...

...Masterpieces though they may be, they are not of the antique variety...

...The British Museum acquired 1,300 of these manuscripts...

...American Jews are charitable, and the idea of owning an old Jewish alms box is somehow very appealing, but the chances are good that if you're offered an antique alms box, especially if it is silver, it's a fake...

...It goes without saying that he should read Hebrew fluently—one could hardly understand a Ketubah's contents without good knowledge of written Hebrew and Aramaic—and be able to decipher inscriptions...

...The Museum's major benefactor was the indefatigable Harry G. Friedman (1882-1965) who, in 1941, presented 850 objects, the first of 5,000 he finally acquired for the Museum...

...Such a "bargain" could turn out to be quite costly...

...The First Collectors While the upsurge of widespread interest in Jewish art may be recent, collecting Judaica is not...

...Few people should be taken in by the giant-sized "Marriage" rings which open to reveal a Torah and sometimes other miniature objects, but apparently many are, as such pieces have been going strong for some two decades now...

...The same goes for antique shows where there are many vendors displaying their wares...

...Knowledge can be gained from visiting museums and by reading books on Jewish art and studying illustrations...

...When a supposedly rare example of antique Jewish art is offered at a price "too good to be true," it is probably just that...

...And yet, so many temple museums are filled with junk and fakes...

...Originally owned only by synagogues and communities, few alms boxes have survived...

...The same goes for archaeological antiquities of ancient Israel...

...Apply the Hebrew principle: kab-deyhu v' chasdeyhu (respect him but suspect him...

...Michael Zagayski, (1895-1964) whose superb Judaica collection in Warsaw was confiscated by the Nazis in World War II, started anew and assembled an unparalleled private collection which, when sold at auction in New York in the early 1960's, engendered excitement and added impetus to the new interest in Judaica collecting...

...Young college-educated Jews, frequently more sophisticated than their parents, are beginning to collect Jewish art...

...Museum-quality objects are not always the most expensive ones...

...Judaica prices used to be very low...

...Going higher still" is the prognosis, since the supply of authentic Judaica is limited and the demand continues unabated...

...There are m'zzuzot, spice containers, Chanukah lamps, trays, and extra-long Torah pointers, often with spice containers at the top—all oxidized to look antique...

...Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild subsequently acquired and presented it to the Cluny Museum in Paris...

...However few they may be, there are bargains to be found, and the discovery of one is clearly one of the most joyous moments for a collector and well worth the arduous search...

...One can still buy an absolutely authentic 1,500-year-old oil lamp from the Tal-mudic period in ancient Israel for $25 or less, and one used by Jews during the Herodian Second Temple period for under $45...

...I get much more for fine old pewter plates than I could possibly get for Jewish pieces, and with all Jewish signs removed I sell the plates quite readily," he explained...

...In some museums, most of the objects were acquired by a single wealthy individual, who, lacking the taste and training to assemble a quality museum collection, concentrated instead on "bargains...

...Ever-present is the desire for "stealing" a bargain which blinds one to the reality that high-quality Judaica objects are seldom available at bargain prices...

...Michael Kaniel, noted authority on Jewish art, is editor of Jewish Art and owner of The Collector, a gallery and shop in Jerusalem...

...Occasionally, a collector whose taste and knowledge has matured since his early unsophisticated collecting efforts has used auction galleries as a means of selling off his "mistakes," "bargains," and secondary acquisitions, thus refining his collection...

...Shouldn't they know better...

...And ignorance of the actual prices of quality Jewish antiques...

...All are accessible...

...Why do collectors and museums succumb to such blatant forgeries...

...Usually made of light silver and hammered, sometimes ivory is attached...

...In addition, if you pay as much or more for a shiny copy of a spice container than for a genuine 19th century one, you may wish to rethink your premise of collecting expensive copies and consider collecting quality originals...

...Further, Jews, like others, often exchanged their old objects for shiny new ones...

...He should be familiar with Judaica literature, as well as with the contents of major collections...

...4075 Jerusalem...

...Try to identify their styles...

...But Jewish art is another story...

...The largest sum ever realized at a Judaica sale, it was also the most that had ever been paid for any collection of manuscripts...

...The earliest known collector was Alexander David (1687-1765), a German court Jew...

...In some "collections," the non-authentic objects far outnumber the genuine...

...As recently as the early '60's, I was shocked to learn from a New York Jewish pewter dealer that the reason he rarely had Jewish pewter was that he often removed Hebrew inscriptions and art from pewter plates...

...Similarly, while a Hebrew inscription on a wine cup indicates its use for Kiddush, it does not convert the cup a priori to a Kiddush cup...

...4. Buy fewer objects, but better ones...

...Ignorance of Jewish antiques...

...In any case, one should logically begin with the least scarce categories, those used in most Jewish homes, such as Chanukah lamps and spice containers...

...Now, however, that searching for one's roots has become popular, and it is fashionable to take pride in one's ethnic heritage, antique Jewish art has suddenly been "discovered...

...Jewish collectors are finding that eminently collectible art objects exist which are not only beautiful and fascinating, but also express Judaism's rich cultural, artistic and religious heritage, and talk to them as Jews, as well...

...Many of the modern Jewish "antiques" are "put-together" objects where various silver pieces— including, at times, genuinely hallmarked old pieces—are joined to create old/new Jewish antiques...

...Or one could seek a dealer specializing in Judaica...

...Pop and Op, Kinetic, pre- and post-Impressionist—you can find it all on the walls of a typical American Jewish home...

...One answer is that most of their objects are gifts from congregants who often feel they are presenting the equivalent of Leonardo originals...

...Israel acquired for the Israel Museum and the Jewish National University Library several significant manuscripts, including a commentary written by Maimonides which was sold for $500,000 (in only 53 seconds), a 9th century Bible which fetched more than $450,000, and a medieval illuminated Haggadah which sold for a quarter-of-a-million dollars...

...However, candlesticks or cups made expressly for the rituals and stylistically distinguished or identified as such are highly desirable examples of Judaica...

...Auction galleries, however, lack personnel knowledgeable in Judaica, and sometimes provide incorrect information...

...Sometimes a new ceremonial object will be "aged" by the addition of a Hebrew inscription...

...With so limited a supply, competition for fine Judaica is keen, and prices are rising...

...Fakes have been turned out by silversmiths, notably in New York, Madrid, Lisbon and Tel Aviv, some of whom also double as dealers in authentic antique Judaica...

...After centuries of pogroms and persecutions, where Jewish exiles were often forced to leave behind precious objects which were subsequently melted down, and after the rigorous destruction of Jewish art during the Holocaust, the objects have become scarce...

...auctions usually hold serious pitfalls for the unwary...

...Higher" is more accurate...

...Learning about Jewish traditions and rituals is helpful...

...Jewish textiles and embroideries are interesting, attractive and colorful—Torah ark curtains, mantles, wrappers, reading covers, Challah and matzah covers, taleisim, tallis and t'fillin bags are all collectible...

...But such events are rare...

...The Spanish forger is no longer alive, but his "antique" Jewish objects live on...

...For starters, try your home, and those of parents and grandparents of friends...

...Get him to teach you all that he knows...

...Exotic beauty, Hebrew calligraphy, intrinsic interest and ease of display make illuminated Ketubot, or marriage contracts, highly collectible...

...You could easily spend between $15,000 and $30,000 for fine oils by "Jewish old masters," but excellent Jewish genre paintings by lesser 19th and early 20th century Jewish artists can be had for small fractions of these figures...

...So are embroidered Passover and Purim hand towels, circumcision pillows and garments, head coverings, wedding and folk costumes...

...2. Read as much as you can...

...Jewish museums, although lacking acquisition funds, can usually come up with donors for the objects they really want...

...Sabbath" candlesticks are often secular ones even if mother and grandmother had used them previously for the Sabbath eve ritual...

...Whether your monthly collecting budget averages $50 or $5,000, try to limit your purchases to the fewest—and the best possible—pieces...

...Fakes and Frauds Judging by what I have seen in private homes and synagogue museums, a substantial portion of "antique" Jewish art collected today is spurious and of doubtful value...

...Supposedly, these objects were used by secret Jews (Marranos), hiding their tenaciously-held Jewish ritual practices from the omnipresent Inquisitors...

...A frequent ploy for forgers is to add cast silver "hands" bearing pointing index fingers to antique, long, tapering, tubular pieces of silver and/or ivory to create "antique" Torah pointers...

...Noted New York jurist Irving H. Lehman (1876-1945) maintained a collection of antique Jewish art, which was donated to Temple Emanu-el in New York...

...David Solomon Sas-soon (1880-1942), a scion of a wealthy family, travelled extensively and devoted his life to acquiring superb Hebrew manuscript treasures, including illuminated Haggadot, Esther scrolls, marriage contracts, and most notably, the illuminated Farhi Bible...

...Recently, even a major public Jewish museum fell into the trap and heralded its acquisition of this marvelous "Ritual Container" in newspaper announcements...

...693, BGPO, New York 10451—4 issues, $20...

...On November 5, 1976, an auction of 38 Hebrew manuscripts from the Sassoon collection in Zurich fetched nearly two million dollars...

...Certain categories are rare and expensive, especially those not usually found in every home...

...Indeed, Israel's major competitors for the Sas-soon manuscripts were non-Jewish institutions...

...Jewish Ceremonial Art" by Michael Kaniel (Arts of Asia offprint—$2.75, available from P.O.B...

...As to avowed reproductions and facsimiles, there is nothing wrong in collecting them if you can't afford the real thing...

...And this brings us to fakes and forgeries...

...Quite possibly, they even occupy as significant a place in the American art market as they do in the book market...

...Jewish Ceremonial Art by Abram Kanof (Harry Abrams, New York—about $25...

...At every opportunity, examine fakes and learn about different forgers' work...

...Ask to determine why a museum decides a particular piece is considered important...

...This principle of all fine art collecting applies also to Judaica...

...The following reading list can serve as a starter: Jewish Art by Cecil Roth (Massada Press, Tel Aviv, and New York Graphic Society— about $20...

...Inthemid-1800's, musician Joseph Strauss exhibited ceremonial art at the Anglo-Jewish Historical Exhibition in London...

...The rising prices of antique Judaica and the increasing number of collectors has engendered the birth of a mini-industry of "antique" Judaica manufacturing...

...Both offer a wide variety of styles, types and forms to choose from...

...Ideally, he should be acquainted with all aspects of Jewish observance, traditions, customs and rituals since Jewish ceremonial art is so involved with these...

...The donors, often wealthy and influential members, deem it unthinkable that their gifts should not be prominently displayed at all times—even if they would be better off hidden away in some genizah...

...Are Judaica prices now "too high...

...The Jewish museum adjuncts of North American synagogues are also in the market...

...At times, when budgeting for acquisitions, Jewish museum committees, unaware of market conditions, make the mistake of expecting to purchase a dozen or so objects with their $2,000 allocation instead of trying to acquire perhaps only one or two top-quality pieces for their budgeted sum...

...By studying good examples...

...A spice tower for $150 or $200, for example, of a type which usually sells for between $500 and $1000, may well be a genuine bargain—but it is more likely a three-dollar bill...

...Jewish museum which has been reported to be de-accessioning some of the mistakes of its bargain-hunting benefactor, selling off these now-pedigreed "museum pieces" to unsuspecting area residents...

...How does one go about collecting Judaica...

...So are Passover Haggadot...

...The sophisticated collector emulates museums in seeking the significant and not merely superficially attractive...

...And beautiful embroidered textiles can be had for as little as $25 and $50...

...For $35 to $275 you can buy some attractive old Jewish prints...

...And they are discovering Jewish genre painting—European artists of the 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Lazar Krestin, Isidor Kaufmann, Mauricy Gottlieb, Motiz Oppenheim, Stanislaus Bender, Jakob Steinhardt, Ephriam Lilien, Mauricy Minkowski and others, all masters of representational art, who captured the Jewish experience of the shtetl on canvas...

...Heinrich Frauberger, a trained art historian organized the "Society for the Research of Jewish Ceremonial Art" in Frankfort-am-Main, which published a journal and arranged public exhibitions...

...But times have changed...

...Any candlesticks and any cup will satisfy the requirements of Halachah for the rituals...

...There was little appreciation and still less understanding of the history, meaning and nature of authentic Judaica...

...For the most part, however, Judaica fakes are poor, shoddy examples of often lazy workmanship, and they are easily discernible for what they are...

...This is especially so when the art in question is usable not only as decoration, but also as ritual object, art linked to practice...

...However, while a fine antique Chanukah lamp may cost as much as $10,000, $20,000 and more, collectors can still find authentic old collectible Chanukah lamps from $75 to $500...

...Collectors are also unearthing Biblical archaeology—ancient Jewish oil lamps and iridescent glass vessels and objects of bronze and ceramics used by their forefathers in the ancestral homeland...

...Philanthropist Victor Carter acquired a significant collection from Sholem Asch, Yiddish writer and dramatist, which is now ensconced in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem...

...At most sales many objects sold have been either insignificant or even forgeries, since sales consisted, in the main, of poor "collections" and of the secondary stock-in-trade of dealers...

...5. Learn from your dealer...

...A diligent search in attics and cellars will sometimes turn up exciting finds which, repaired, cleaned and polished, could turn out to be excellent beginning acquisitions...

...Ignorance, probably...

...How does one tell the original from the fraudulent...

...But decorative and interesting Ketubot from Italy and many other parts of the world can be found priced at $150 to $750...

...Amulets, those small, interesting examples of Jewish mysticism, are also good collectibles...

...How to Start What is "collectible" in Judaica...

...Usually fashioned of gilded silver or gold, the cup itself—sometimes it is a miniature synagogue—is often a genuinely old one that opens to reveal marvelous examples of Jewish ceremonial art in miniature—a Chanukah lamp, a Megillah and Sabbath candlesticks...

...Felix Warburg purchased the collection and presented it to the Jewish Theological Seminary of New York, laying the groundwork for the Jewish Museum...

...Judaica is hard to come by and everyone seems to want it...

...Sums invested in the purchase of a few quality art objects should eventually be worth substantially more than the same sums divided among many pieces...

...Nor are rabbis necessarily experts in Jewish art, and they and untrained lay volunteer "curators" have often made poor acquisition decisions...

...Until very recently, the most you could hope to see was the obligatory single Israeli print and perhaps the kitsch painting of* a bearded and be-shtreimeled Hassidic rabbi...

...Antique shops, and especially those specializing in old silver, are good potential sources...

...Moses Gaster (1856— 1939), the Ashkenazi Haham of the London Sephardic community, collected some 2,000 Hebrew Samaritan manuscripts and 20,000 printed books...

...Frauberger once experienced every collector's dream—he acquired forty antique spice containers by just happening on a second-hand dealer during a transaction to have them sold and melted down as scrap silver...

...The many choosing the few" has thus resulted in steadily increasing prices...

...Often attractively illustrated, the several Haggadot, prevalent in every Jewish home, can serve as the nucleus of a collection...

...The most important objects are, of course, the most costly...

...Most people prefer to collect a variety of Jewish antique categories rather than to specialize, both because of the interest provided by variety and because the rarity of fine antique Jewish art makes specialized collecting more difficult...