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Carved Wooden Torah Arks of Eastern Europe

Inbunden, Engelska, 2017

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National Jewish Book Awards Finalist for the Visual Arts Award, 2017.The carved wooden Torah arks found in eastern Europe from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries were magnificent structures, unparalleled in their beauty and mystical significance. The work of Jewish artisans, they dominated the synagogues of numerous towns both large and small throughout the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, inspiring worshippers with their monumental scale and intricate motifs.Virtually none of these superb pieces survived the devastation of the two world wars. Bracha Yaniv’s pioneering work therefore breathes new life into a lost genre, making it accessible to scholars and students of Jewish art, Jewish heritage, and religious art more generally. Making use of hundreds of pre-war photographs housed in local archives, she develops a vivid portrait of the history and artistic development of these arks, the scope and depth of her meticulous research successfully compensating for the absence of physical remains. In this way she has succeeded in producing a richly illustrated and comprehensive overview of a classic Jewish religious art form. Professor Yaniv’s analysis of the historical context in which these arks emerged includes a broad survey of the traditions that characterized the local workshops of Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine. She also provides a detailed analysis of the motifs carved into the Torah arks and explains their mystical significance, among them representations of Temple imagery and messianic themes—and even daring visual metaphors for God. Fourteen arks are discussed in particular detail, with full supporting documentation; appendices relating to the inscriptions on the arks and to the artisans’ names will further facilitate future research. This seminal work throws new light on long-forgotten traditions of Jewish craftsmanship and religious understanding.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2017-08-01
Mått210 x 275 x undefined mm
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
SerieLittman Library of Jewish Civilization
Antal sidor320
FörlagLiverpool University Press
ISBN9781906764371

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Note on TransliterationIntroductionPART I HISTORY AND CULTURE, FUNCTION AND DESIGN1. The Emergence of the Torah Ark from Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century2. Historical and Cultural BackgroundThe Polish–Lithuanian CommonwealthThe Rise of Hasidism and the Influence of Kabbalah3. Construction and DesignCrafts, Artisans, and WorkshopsThe Lithuanian Workshop of Jacob ben Solomon of RaseinaiThe Workshop of the Vase in a NicheThe Rococo-Style WorkshopThe Belarusian WorkshopThe Ukrainian WorkshopConstructing the ArkBuildingMaterials and TechniquesStyle and DesignPART II FORM AND CONTENTIntroduction: The Architectural Structure of the Torah Ark4. The Kingdom of God in the Little SanctuaryThe Throne of GloryThe Eagle as a Metaphor for GodThe Three CrownsPraise of GodPerek shirahMusic in the Temple5. The TempleThe Gateway to HeavenThe PassagewayThe Inscription Avinu MalkenuYakhin and BoazThe Ark of the Covenant and the Temple AppurtenancesThe Kaporet and the CherubimThe Tree of Life: Symbol of the TorahThe Seven-Branched MenorahIntroductionThe Menorah and the Showbread TableThe Menorah as a Solitary MotifThe Menorah in Zechariah’s VisionThe Menorah as a Mystical SymbolThe Temple Rituals: Avodat HakodeshThe Sacrificial OfferingsThe Priestly BlessingOffering of the First Fruits6. Messianic ExpectationsPersonal Redemption: The Leviathan and the OxNational RedemptionAaron’s Rod, the Manna Jar, and the Jug of Anointing OilThe Four Species and the ShofarPART III APPENDICESI. Fourteen Torah Arks: Comprehensive Description, Technical Data, and Supporting DocumentationIntroduction1. Kamyanka-Buzka, Western Ukraine, c.17752. Vyzˇuonos, Central Lithuania, 17843. Zabłudów, North-East Poland, 17654. Druya, Northern Belarus, 1774/55. Zelva, Western Belarus, 1849/506. Lukiv, Western Ukraine, c.17817. Hrodna, Western Belarus, Late Eighteenth Century8. Nowe Miasto nad Pilica˛, East-Central Poland, after 18009. Sˇauke˙nai, Central Lithuania, 1885/610. Przedbórz, Central Poland, c.177511. Valkininkai, South-East Lithuania, 180412. Ke˛pno, West-Central Poland, 1816/1713. Vowpa, Western Belarus, 178114. Unidentified Ark, Ukraine, Nineteenth CenturyII. Biblical Quotations and Liturgical Phrases Adorning the ArksIII. Carpenters and Woodcarvers of ArksIV. Alphabetical List of the Arks Comprising the Visual Database for This StudyList of IllustrationsList of InstitutionsBibliographyIndex

'Bracha Yaniv’s book addresses a wide audience; for scholars it is an excellent source book, a cradle of new ideas, but it is accessible to readers who are less familiar with Judaism and Jewish visual culture. The large-format book is graphically coherent, with only historic photographs that were edited to be similar in tonal gamut and micro-contrast, all black and white. On pages without illustrations beautiful portrayals of the Torah arks adorn the pages, in abstracted form, enriching the aesthetically pleasing layout and well chosen typography. This book is not only a pleasure to hold, see, and read, but it opens new horizons for many professionals who research Jewish visual culture.'Prof. Rudolf Klein, IMAGES