Overview > Jewish Art and Life Wing > The Rhythm of Life: Birth, Marriage, Death
Jewish Ethnography
Lulwi dress for a woman after childbirth (also used as burial shrouds)
Sana'a, Yemen
Late 19th century

Jewish Ethnography
“Tomb“ bracelets (gubur) to be worn by a woman after childbirth and for festive occasions
Sana'a, Yemen
Early 20th century

Judaica
Outfit for circumcision ceremony
Germany


Judaica
Elijah's Chair for a circumcision ceremony
Dermbach, Germany
Before 1768

Judaica
Medallion for a firstborn son not redeemed at the proper time
Ioannina, Greece


Judaica
Torah ark curtain for Yom Kippur, incorporating bride’s skirt
Cochin, India


Jewish Ethnography
Corner for the consummation of the marriage (gnune


Jewish Ethnography
Curtain with Tree-of-Life motif
Herat, Afghanistan
1960s

Jewish Ethnography
Sugar bowl (kase nabat)

Reconstructed according to the Afghani tradition, Jerusalem, 1997, by Esther Bezalel
Jewish Ethnography
Necklace (ogadéro)
Izmir, Turkey
Late 19th century

Jewish Ethnography
Bracelets (mania de ĉatón)
Izmir, Turkey
Late 19th century

Judaica
Bridal set:
Cochin, India
20th century

Judaica
Sivlonot belt
Germany
16th century (?)

Judaica
Sivlonot belt
Germany
17th century

Judaica
Sivlonot belt
Frankfurt, Germany


Judaica
Huppah stone (Traustein)
Bingen, Germany


Jewish Ethnography
Robe from a woman's set of shrouds
Tétouan, Morocco
ca. 1950

Jewish Ethnography
“The Great Dress“ (l-kesiwa l-kebira; berberisca)
Tétouan, Morocco
Late 19th century

Jewish Ethnography
Cap from a woman's burial shroud set
Germany
Early 20th century

Judaica
Burial society carriage
Szarvas, Hungary
19th century

Judaica
Glass for a burial society’s annual banquet
Prague, Bohemia


Jewish Ethnography
The Yemenite woman after childbirth


Judaica
Sword amulet inscribed with names of angels
Iran
19th century

Judaica
Amulet for mother and newborn with image of Lilith in the center
Iran
19th century

Judaica
Amulet for mother and newborn with the names of Lilith and the three angels
Germany
19th century

Judaica
Amulet for a new mother with depiction of the confrontation between Elijah and Lilith
Sulzbach (?), Germany
18th century

Judaica
Amulet for mother and newborn with image of Lilith in the center
Iran
18th century

Judaica
Salver for carrying the baby during the pidyon ha-ben (redemption of the firstborn) ceremony
Galicia
19th century

Jewish Ethnography
Bridal veil, also used for circumcision and pidyon ha-ben ceremonies
Georgia
Early 20th century

Judaica
Circumcision set: flask for disinfectant powder and knife
Prague, Bohemia


Judaica
Circumcision knife with a representation of the Binding of Isaac
Italy
17th century

Judaica
Pair of goblets for circumcision
Vienna, Austria


Judaica
Double beaker for circumcision
Hall, Tirol, Austria


Judaica
Circumcision knives
Livorno (?), Italy
Mid-19th century

Judaica
Circumcision clamp
Iran
18th century

Judaica
Box for circumcision implements with a depiction of a circumcision on the front
Germany
18th century

Judaica
Torah binder (wimpel)
Germany


Jewish Ethnography
Outfit with miniature prayer shawl (tallit) for baby's circumcision, as an added sign of Jewish identity
Istanbul, Turkey
Late 19th century

Jewish Ethnography
Dress for a girl's naming ceremony
USA

Artist: Ita Aber, American, born Montreal 1932
Jewish Ethnography
Coins for the pidyon ha-ben (redemption of the firstborn) ceremony
Spain
1875, 1877, 1888, 1898

Judaica
Pair of phylacteries (tefillin) cases
Central Europe
18th-19th century

Judaica
Torah portion for phylacteries (tefillin)
Europe
19th century

Judaica
Prayer shawl (tallit) and phylacteries (tefillin) case for Bar Mitzvah
Algiers
Before 1939
Silversmith: Salomon Slama
Judaica
Prayer shawl (tallit) bag for a boy (skara detzitzit)
Morocco
Early 20th century

Jewish Ethnography
Dress for a Bat Mitzvah ceremony
Rome, Italy


Judaica
Torah ark curtain (parokhet) made from dowry items
Izmir, Turkey
Dedicated 1907

Jewish Ethnography
Jewelry box for a bride
Algeria
19th century

Judaica
Jewelry box with wedding scenes
New York

Artist: Ilya Schor, born Poland, active in France and USA, 1904–1961
Judaica
Jewelry box given as a gift to the bride
Nuremberg, Germany
Before 1540

Jewish Ethnography
Pendant
Poland
Late 19th century

Judaica
Sabbath candlesticks
Lvov, Poland
18th century

Judaica
Book cover for a prayer book, gift for a woman
Italy
15th century

Judaica
Miniature Passover Haggadah
Vienna

Scribe and illuminator: Meshullam Zimmel ben Moshe of Polna (Bohemia)
Judaica
Papercut – blessing for a wedding
Turkey
Late 19th – early 20th century

Jewish Ethnography
Vanity set for a bride
Tripoli, Libya
Mid-20th century

Jewish Ethnography
Shoes for a bride
Fez, Morocco
1950s

Jewish Ethnography
Festive "great" leggings
Sana'a, Yemen
Early 20th century

Jewish Ethnography
Slippers for a bride
Dagestan, Caucasus
First half of the 20th century

Jewish Ethnography
Pocket watch
Turkey
First half of the 20th century

Jewish Ethnography
Shtreimel hat for a Hasidic groom
Israel


Jewish Ethnography
Married woman's pendant (tali mala)
Parur, Cochin region, India
Mid-20th century

Judaica
Four corners for a prayer shawl (tallit) and case, a gift for a groom
Herat, Afghanistan
Early 20th century

Judaica
Esther scroll and silver case decorated with scences from the scroll story
Germany
19th century

Jewish Ethnography
Jewelry set
Posen, Germany (Poznan, Poland)
19th century

Judaica
Marriage contract (ketubbah)
Essaouira (Mogador), Morocco


Judaica
Marriage contract (ketubbah)
Corfu, Greece


Judaica
Marriage contract (ketubbah)
Sena, Iran


Judaica
Marriage contract (ketubbah) with coat of arms of the couple's families
Ferrara, Italy


Judaica
Marriage contract (ketubbah) with pointed base characteristic of Roman ketubbot
Rome, Italy


Judaica
Marriage contract (ketubbah) with depictions of birds
Ernakulam, Cochin, India


Judaica
Marriage contract (ketubbah) with depiction of the groom offering his bride wine at the Yihud ceremony
Sana'a (K'aa Bir El'azab quarter), Yemen


Jewish Ethnography
Groom's attire
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Late 19th - early 20th century

Jewish Ethnography
Bridal costume influenced by the European style
Baghdad, Iraq


Jewish Ethnography
Wedding ring
Izmir, Turkey


Judaica
Wedding ring surmounted by a symbolic structure in the form of a house
Northern Italy (?)
15th century (?)

Judaica
Wedding ring surmounted by a symbolic structure in the form of a house
Italy
17th century

Judaica
Wedding ring surmounted by a symbolic structure in the form of a house
Italy
17th century

Judaica
Wedding ring surmounted by a symbolic structure in the form of a house
Italy
18th century

Judaica
Wedding ring surmounted by a symbolic structure in the form of a house
Austria
19th century (?)

Jewish Ethnography
Wedding ring
Europe


Jewish Ethnography
Wedding rings (to be worn around the neck)
Ethiopia
Second half of the 20th century

Jewish Ethnography
Wedding ring
Cochin, India
Mid-20th century

Jewish Ethnography
Set of woman’s burial shrouds


Judaica
Burial society plaque with depiction of the preparations for burial
Rome, Italy


Judaica
Burial society book including prayers, instructions for patients and their visitors, confession, and psalms
Mannheim, Germany
Dedicated 1804

Judaica
Burial society plaque depicting the cleansing of the deceased
Northern Italy


Judaica
Mortuary comb
Moravia


Judaica
Alms box of the burial society
Ottoman Empire
Dedicated 1882

Judaica
Alms box of women's burial society
Altona, Germany


Judaica
Alms box of society for visiting the sick
Reggio, Italy


Judaica
Alms box of the burial society
Austria
Dedicated 1843

Judaica
Goblet for the Schwabach Burial Society banquet
Nuremberg, Germany
ca. 1700
Artist: Johann Conrad Weiss
Judaica
Sabbath and memorial lamp for a woman
Morocco
19th century

Judaica
Sabbath and memorial lamp for a woman
Meknès, Morocco
19th century

Jewish Ethnography
Memorial lamp for a man
Morocco
Early 20th century

Judaica
Memorial lamp for the synagogue
Turkey


Judaica
Memorial lamp for the synagogue
Syria
Dedicated 1904

Judaica
Memorial lamp for the synagogue
Izmir, Turkey


Judaica
Dedication plaque for a memorial lamp
Italy


Judaica
Dedication plaque for a memorial lamp
Italy
First half of the 19th century

Judaica
Plaque for a synagogue memorial lamp
Rissani, תפילאלת, Morocco
Early 20th century

Judaica
“Memento Mori“ paper cut
Germany or Poland
19th century

Judaica
Tombstone
Poland