Photo © Israel Museum, Jerusalem, by Yoram Lehmann |
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The Five Scrolls in multilingual micrography Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Esther, and Lamentations Vienna, Austria Scribe and illuminator: Aaron Wolf Herlingen of Gewitsch, Moravia (ca. 1700–1757) Handwritten on parchment; black ink and gold leaf L: 19.1; W: 15 cm Accession number: B08.1063 ; 180/034 |
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This single sheet by the well-known scribe Aaron Wolf Herlingen is a masterpiece of tiny script (micrography) in four different languages: Ruth in German, Song of Songs in Latin, Ecclesiastes and Esther in Hebrew, and Lamentations in French. Herlingen, who copied and illustrated many manuscripts for wealthy court Jews, is among the most prolific figures of the Moravian and Austrian school of Hebrew manuscript production that flourished in the 18th century – long after the invention of the printing press. Publications: Benjamin, Chaya, The Stieglitz Collection: Masterpieces of Jewish Art, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1987, English / Hebrew Avrin, Leila, Micrography as Art., The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, and CNRS, Paris, 1981, English The Jewish World 365 Days, from the Collections of The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, U.S.A., 2004 Digital presentation of this object was made possible by: The Ridgefield Foundation, New York, in memory of Henry J. and Erna D. Leir |
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