Details
Description
This is a rare pair of antique 1893 High Holiday festival prayer books (Machzor) published in Vienna by Jos. Schlesinger. …
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This is a rare pair of antique 1893 High Holiday festival prayer books (Machzor) published in Vienna by Jos. Schlesinger. The two-volume set covers the liturgy for Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) according to the German and Polish Ashkenazi custom (minhag Polin), with parallel Hebrew text and English translations by Samuel Summer.
The covers feature ornate carved bone overlays with pierced foliate vines and a sculpted Keter Torah (Crown of the Law) at the top, mounted over deep red/burgundy velvet panels. The center features a raised brass relief of the Luchot HaBrit (Ten Commandments) inscribed in Roman numerals/Hebrew figures, framed within a molded brass architectural border.
Item Specifics
Origin: Vienna, Austria (Austro-Hungarian Empire)
Age: 1893 (Hebrew Year 5653)
Publisher: Jos. Schlesinger, I. Seitenstettengasse 5, Vienna
Material: Carved natural bone, burgundy velvet, brass framing and appliques, paper, cloth/velvet spine backings.
Dimensions: Approx. 5" x 7.5" (each volume)
Authenticity Assessment
These volumes feature the authentic manufacturing hallmarks of luxury late 19th-century Austro-Hungarian Judaica produced by Jos. Schlesinger in Vienna. Key markers include:
Material Character: Under close examination, the cream-colored cover panels exhibit natural grain lines and fine porosity distinct to carved bovine bone rather than celluloid or faux-ivory synthetics.
Typographical Accuracy: The title page displays period-accurate Victorian typography alongside traditional Hebrew square script, complete with Schlesinger's historic address at I. Seitenstettengasse 5 in Vienna and the matching Hebrew date תּרנ״ג (5653 / 1893 CE).
Construction Technique: The structural assembly uses period-correct brass pin-fastened framing, die-pressed brass appliques, and hand-fitted velvet backing over thick millboard.
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Design Significance & Historical Provenance:
Produced during the late 19th-century revival of decorative ceremonial Judaica in Vienna, this matching pair of festival prayer books exemplifies historicist Austro-Hungarian book Arts. The covers showcase a rich synthesis of carved natural bone, deep burgundy velvet, and pressed brass detailing centered around the Luchot HaBrit (Ten Commandments) and Keter Torah (Crown of the Law).
Curator's Note:
A striking architectural pair of late Victorian Austro-Hungarian Judaica. Featuring deeply textured bone carving over rich crimson velvet and patinated brass frames, these 1893 Viennese volumes bring exquisite old-world grandeur to library shelving, display cabinets, or vignette styling.
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- Dimensions
- 5ʺW × 1ʺD × 7.5ʺH
- Styles
- Religious
- Period
- Late 19th Century
- Country of Origin
- Austria
- Item Type
- Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
- Materials
- Bone
- Brass
- Paper
- Velvet
- Condition
- Good Condition, Original Condition Unaltered, Some Imperfections
- Color
- Off-white
- Condition Notes
- Condition Report Volume I (Rosh Hashanah): Binding/covers remain sturdy and intact. Bone overlay, velvet, and brass elements are fully intact … moreCondition Report Volume I (Rosh Hashanah): Binding/covers remain sturdy and intact. Bone overlay, velvet, and brass elements are fully intact with light patination. Missing the main title page. Internal pages show light age-toning and handling wear, but overall text block remains largely intact and readable. Volume II (Yom Kippur): Title page intact and clear (1893 / 5653). Cover retains bone, velvet, and brass elements, but shows significant structural wear: spine fabric/velvet binding has frayed and separated from the text block, and multiple interior pages are torn, detached, or fragmented as shown in photographs. less
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