Book cover for Mahzor prayer book with leather case

1755–1757

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 551

Precious covers for liturgical prayer books are a staple of eighteenth-century Jewish material culture and decorative arts. The silver exterior is enveloped by a rocaille design and a lightly hammered ground that incorporates shell motifs and a central rhomboidal cartouche with family crests. These book covers have been passed down through generations, perhaps on the occasion of the merging of two families, as indicated by the two different family devices on either side. Made by Giuseppe Merlini (1746–1760), a silversmith with a prominent career in Rome and Florence, this book cover attests to the small but affluent community of the Roman Jewish community during the eighteenth century. Encased within is a Mazhor, a prayerbook for the full Jewish cycle of Festivals and Fast days, printed in Venice and published by one of the best-known Jewish publishers, Tobias ben Eliezer Foà.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Book cover for Mahzor prayer book with leather case
Maker: Giuseppe Merlini (Italian, active Rome 1746–60)
Publisher: Stamperia Bragadina
Date: 1755–1757
Culture: Italian, Rome
Medium: Chased and embossed silver; leather with decorative gilding, paper
Dimensions: bookbinding, confirmed: 6 7/8 × 5 1/8 × 2 1/2 in. (17.5 × 13 × 6.4 cm)
leather case, confirmed: 7 1/8 × 5 1/2 × 2 1/8 in. (18.1 × 14 × 5.4 cm)
Classifications: Judaica, Metalwork-Silver
Credit Line: Purchase, Manda and Albert Kalimian Gift, in memory of Victoria and Rouhollah Kalimian, 2024
Object Number: 2024.380a–c
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

In the same gallery

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Holy-water stoup with relief of Mary of Egypt, Giovanni Giardini Italian, Lapis lazuli, silver, and gilded bronze, Italian, Rome — Holy-water stoup with relief of Mary of Egypt
Giovanni Giardini
Benedetto Luti
ca. 1702

Bookcase (one of a pair), Niccolo Michetti Italian, Walnut and poplar; iron hinges and locks, metal wire; antique silk and linen brocatelle door curtains (not original), Italian, Rome — Bookcase (one of a pair)
Niccolo Michetti
ca. 1715

Baraffael Family Hanukkah Lamp, Gaspare Vanneschi Italian, Silver, embossed, engraved, punched; soft wood back support, Italian, Rome — Baraffael Family Hanukkah Lamp
Gaspare Vanneschi
1773–75

Showcase on stand (Scarabattola), Walnut; carved, painted, and gilded linden wood; mirror glass, Italian, Rome — Showcase on stand (Scarabattola)
Italian, Rome
late 17th century

Baptism of Christ, Alessandro Algardi Italian, Bronze, Italian, Rome — Baptism of Christ
Alessandro Algardi
second half of the 17th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.