Until it was acquired by the Braginsky Collection, this little book
with the Birkat ha-mason from 1741 had not been known to research.
Clearly it had originally been meant for a woman, probably as a
wedding present. In addition to the title page with an
architectural frame and the figures of Moses and Aaron, there are
six more illustrations in the text, among them a very rare
depiction of a woman only partially immersed in a ritual bath (12v)
and also a rather conventional depiction of a woman reading the
Shema prayer before retiring at night (17r). This little book was
copied and illustrated by Jakob ben Juda Leib Schammasch from
Berlin. He is known as one of the most productive Jewish manuscript
artists in Northern Germany.
Place
Preferred form
Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany)
Original form
Hamburg and Altona, copied and illustrated by Jakob ben Juda Leib Schammasch
