F i n e Ju d a i C a . pr i n t e d bo o K s , ma n u s C r i p t s , au t o g r a p h Le t t e r s & gr a p h i C ar t K e s t e n b a u m & Co m p a n y th u r s d a y , de C e m b e r 8t h , 2011 K e s t e n b a u m & Co m p a n y . Auctioneers of Rare Books, Manuscripts and Fine Art A Lot 334 Catalogue of F i n e Ju d a i C a . PRINTED BOOKS , MANUSCRI P TS , AUTOGRA P H LETTERS & GRA P HIC ART Featuring: Books from Jews’ College Library, London ——— To be Offered for Sale by Auction, Thursday, 8th December, 2011 at 3:00 pm precisely ——— Viewing Beforehand: Sunday, 4th December - 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm Monday, 5th December - 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Tuesday, 6th December - 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Wednesday 7th December - 10:00 am - 6:00 pm No Viewing on the Day of Sale. This Sale may be referred to as: “Omega” Sale Number Fifty-Three Illustrated Catalogues: $35 (US) * $42 (Overseas) KestenbauM & CoMpAny Auctioneers of Rare Books, Manuscripts and Fine Art . 242 West 30th street, 12th Floor, new york, NY 10001 • tel: 212 366-1197 • Fax: 212 366-1368 e-mail: [email protected] • World Wide Web site: www.Kestenbaum.net K e s t e n b a u m & Co m p a n y . Chairman: Daniel E. Kestenbaum Operations Manager: Jackie S. Insel Client Accounts: S. Rivka Morris Client Relations: Sandra E. Rapoport, Esq. (Consultant) Printed Books & Manuscripts: Rabbi Eliezer Katzman Rabbi Bezalel Naor Ceremonial & Graphic Art: Abigail H. Meyer Catalogue Art Director and Photographer: Anthony Leonardo Auctioneer: Harmer F. Johnson (NYCDCA License no. 0691878) For all inquiries relating to this sale please contact: Daniel E. Kestenbaum Order of Sale: Printed Books: Lot 1 - 237 Illustrated Books: Lots 238 - 251 Manuscripts & Autograph Letters: Lots 252 - 324 Graphic Art: Lots 325 - End of Sale Front Cover: The Dream of King Nebuchadnezzer. Highly Unusual Illuminated Vellum Sheet. Northern Europe, circa 1711 (see lot 322) Back Cover: The David Moss Hagadah (see lot 126) Frontispiece: Austrian Landscape by Isidor Kaufmann (see lot 334) List of prices realized will be posted on our Web site, www.kestenbaum.net, following the sale. — P RINTED BOOKS — 1 ABOAB, ISAAC. Menorath HaMa’or [“The Candelabrum of 3 ABRABANEL, DON ISAAC. Perush al HaTorah [commentary Light”: Ethical Treatise]. On final page, printer’s device of Brothers on the Pentateuch]. Edited by Samuel Archivolti. FIRST EDITION. Filipponi (Yaari, Hebrew Printers’ Marks 29). From the Library Printer’s device on title (Yaari, 18). Marginalia and inscriptions of Adolph Lewisohn, with his bookplate. ff. 116. Some staining, on f. 168a, final leaf and back flyleaf, signature on verso of title marginal paper repairs. Later gilt crushed morocco, a.e.g. Boards detached, (Samuel Carillo). ff. 425 (i.e. 424), (1). Ex-library, small marginal spine sunned. Sm. folio. [Vinograd, Mantua 95]. hole on title not affecting text, stained, few leaves marginally frayed. Modern calf. Thick folio. [Vinograd, Venice 641; Mehlman 626; Mantua, G. Ruffinelli: 1563. $500-700 Adams A-54]. First published in Constantinople in 1514, Menorath Venice, Asher Parenzo for Giovanni di Gara: 1579. $800-1200 HaMa’or has been an immensely popular and inspirational ethical work through the centuries. The publisher states on “The commentary on the Pentateuch may be considered the title-page of the present edition that, based upon an old Abrabanel’s most authoritative presentation of his views, and manuscript recently discovered, many errors that appeared it was not without good reason that he considered it the first in earlier editions have now been corrected. and foremost of his works. As Abrabanel put it: ‘I invested in it all my thought and all my knowledge.’” B. Netanyahu, Don [see illustration lower left] Isaac Abravanel: Statesman & Philosopher (1968) p. 86. 2 ABRABANEL, DON ISAAC. Mirkeveth HaMishneh [commentary [see illustration lower right] on the Book of Deuteronomy]. FIRST EDITION. Title within architectural floral border. On final page, printer’s marks of Tobias 4 ADARBI, ISAAC. Divrei Rivoth [“Matters of Dispute”: responsa]. Foa and Joseph Shalit (Yaari, Hebrew Printers’ Marks 19-20). With Second Edition. Title within woodcut architectural arch. Scholarly the rare unnumbered final leaf containing a full-page poem by marginalia in an Italian hand. ff. 198 (i.e. 200). Dampstained in Azariah di Rossi (author of Me’or Einayim). Includes tipped-in note places, upper margin of title expertly repaired, trace wormhole on final leaf. stating that this volume was a presentation copy to Israeli Prime Later mottled calf, rebacked. Folio. [Vinograd, Venice 703; Habermann, Minister Levi Eshkol upon his visit to Yeshiva University in June of di Gara 88; Adams I-177]. 1964. ff. 145, (1). Stained, previous owners’ marks. Later marbled boards, Venice, Giovanni di Gara: 1587. $400-600 rebacked. Folio. [Vinograd, Sabbioneta 1; Yaari, Mechkarei Sepher, Important collection of 430 responsa. The author p. 352, no. 1]. (1510-1584?), Rabbi of the Lisbon Jewish congregation Sabbioneta, Tobias Foa: 1551. $1500-2000 in Salonika, was a disciple of R. Joseph Taitatzak and a THE FIRST HEBREW BOOK PRINTED IN SABBIONETA. With an colleague of R. Samuel de Medina (MaHaRaSHDaM). important introduction concerning the establishment of Adarbi many times takes exception to the latter’s rulings. the Hebrew press in this town in the Lombardy region of See EJ, Vol. II, col. 254. northern Italy. [see illustration lower middle] Lot 1 Lot 2 Lot 3 1 5 ALBELDA, MOSES. Olath Tamid [sermons on the Pentateuch]. FIRST EDITION. Title within elaborate arch adorned with male and female busts. ff. 231, (1 blank), (4). Stamp on opening leaf, slight staining in places. Modern morocco. Folio. [Vinograd, Venice 933]. Venice, Daniel Zanetti: 1601. $500-700 With the scarce four-leaf index missing in many copies. Of Spanish origin, Moses Albelda (1500-c. 1583) was likely born in Salonika and later served as rabbi of Arta, Greece, and thereafter, Valona, Albania. His commentary and Biblical expositions are of a speculative, philosophical nature. See EJ, Vol. II, col. 529. 6 (ALEPPO). LANIADO, ABRAHAM. Magen Avraham [sermons pertaining to circumcision, marriage, Torah, charity, repentance, etc.]. FIRST EDITION. ff. 180. Dampstained, few leaves toward end marginally frayed. Modern morocco backed boards. 8vo. [Vinograd, Venice 964]. Venice, Daniel Zanetti: 1603. $700-1000 Abraham Laniado was a member of a highly respected family of rabbinic scholars in Aleppo, Syria. In his youth he was sent by his father Yitzhak Laniado to study in the yeshiva of Joseph Karo in Tsfat. Upon his return to Aleppo, he married the daughter of his uncle Samuel Laniado, the author of the famed Kli Yakar commentary on the Prophets. Abraham Laniado traveled to Venice to oversee the publication of his father-in-law’s works, as well as the present work, his own sermons. See David Sutton, Aleppo: City of Scholars (2005) p. 247, no. 345 (title-page illustrated). [see illustration upper left] Lot 6 7 (ALEPPO). PINTO, JOSIAH. Nivchar MiKesef [responsa arranged in order of the four sections of Shulchan Aruch]. FIRST EDITION. Gilt tooled on front cover: “To Sir Henri Moses, Esq.” Appended: 5-page biography of the author. ff.(4), 230, (2). Ex-library. Contemporary boards, rubbed. 8vo. [Yaari, Aleppo 4; Sutton, Aleppo 463]. Aleppo, Elijah Hai ben Abraham Sasson: 1869. $800-1200 First Original Work TO BE Printed on the New Aleppo Press of Elijah Hai Sasson. R. Josiah Pinto (RI”F) (1565-1648), a native and prominent jurist of Damascus, is renowned for his halachic work as well as his commentary to Ein Ya’akov (Legends of the Talmud). He was the father-in-law of R. Samuel Vital, son of the great kabbalist R. Chaim Vital, a fellow Damascene. The first Hebrew books printed in Aleppo were executed at the press of Elijah Hai Sasson and his younger brother Moses Hai Sasson. Between the years 1865-73 a total of 14 Hebrew books were issued by their press. A year later they moved to Jerusalem and restarted their printing establishment. See D. Sutton, Aleppo: City of Scholars (2005) p. 291, no. 463; Yaari, HaDefus Ha’Ivri Be’Aram Tzovah, pp. 32-4. [see illustration left] Lot 7 2 8 (ALEPPO). HedaYA, Shalom. Shalom La’Am. FIRST EDITION. Title surrounded by Biblical verses. Vignette of Jerusalem on p. 104. Inscribed and signed by author’s son. ff.(6), 112. Ex-library, some marginal worming. Contemporary boards, worn. 4to. [Yaari, Aleppo 21; Sutton, Aleppo, no. 310]. Aleppo, Y. Dayan: 1896. $600-900 R. Shalom Hedaya (1864-1945), a native of Aleppo and member of an illustrious Rabbinic family, moved to Jerusalem as a young man and was soon appointed Chief Justice of the Sephardic Beth Din of Jerusalem and Head of the Beth-El Yeshiva. This ethical work, Shalom La’Am became very popular, and in the words of David Sutton: “Many attribute the great respect in Aram-Soba for Torah institutions and Torah scholars to the intense study of this book by the community.” (Aleppo: City of Scholars, p. 219). Besides the many haskamoth of the rabbis of Aleppo, the book is graced by the endorsement of the Rishon le-Zion, Jacob Saul Elyashar. The author’s son, R. Ovadyah Hedaya (1890-1969), served as judge of the Senior Appeals Beth Din in Jerusalem, as well as head of the reconstituted Beth-El Yeshiva (which has been destroyed when the Old City fell to the Jordanians in 1948).