Kestenbaum & Company’s saleroom was filled-to-capacity as clients witnessed a singularly important item of Americana go under the hammer at the firm’s auction of fine Judaica on May 27. Consigned by Gratz College of Philadelphia, the first Passover Haggadah printed in America, New York, 1837, was part of the college’s library for almost a century. After spirited bidding, the text ultimately realized $86,100 against a presale estimate of $40/60,000.
The auction, which offered 360 lots of Hebrew printed books, manuscripts, ceremonial and graphic art, featured several iconic volumes relating to American Jewish history. Most notably, the first comprehensive set of Festival Prayer-Books printed in America, Philadelphia, 1837″8, sold for $46,740, and a beautifully bound copy of Joseph Schwarz’s Descriptive Geography and Brief Historical Sketch of Palestine , Philadelphia, 1850, realized a premium price of $68,880, more than tripling its estimate of $20/25,000. Translated by Isaac Leeser, this was Leeser’s personal copy accompanied by correspondence with the author. Additional American Judaica of interest included the minutes of meetings conducted by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis from 1923 to 1929 that brought a high price of $24,600, sailing over its presale estimate of $3/5,000. A copy of the Gazette of the United States , the newspaper issue that contained a transcript of George Washington’s letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Savannah, Ga., 1790, garnered $12,300.
Among early Hebrew printed books offered was an incomplete copy of a biblical commentary by David ben Joseph Kimchi, Soncino, circa 1485, which earned $11,685, and the Cremona edition of Nissim Gerondi’s Responsa, printed entirely on blue paper, which achieved $7,073. An edition of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, Amsterdam, 1702‰3, was sought after due to its impressive contemporary binding and attained $3,690.
In the Passover Haggadah section of the sale, a deluxe issue of the celebrated Amsterdam Haggadah, 1712, the printer’s personal copy in his original binding, and featuring a folding map of the Holy Land, garnered $19,680. Arthur Szyk’s richly illustrated Haggadah printed on vellum, London, 1939, brought in $45,550, and a Passover Haggadah, produced under primitive conditions in 1941 by German Jews held prisoner by the British at an interment camp in Hay, Australia, sold at a price of $8,918 to the Australian grandson of the original editor.
Among the contemporary historical material offered, Menachem Kirschbaum’s tragic Takanoth , an exceptionally scarce 1939 pamphlet containing instructions to Jewish Burial Societies in regard to the cremated remains of concentration camp victims, was bought for $7,380. An important text of Zionist literature, the first English edition of Theodor Herzl’s A Jewish State , London, 1896, realized $9,840.
Headlining the manuscripts section of the sale was a portion of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, the copy of R. Yichye ben Solomon Kafach, Yemen, Fifteenth Century, which went for $39,360. Also generating tremendous interest was Eliezer Bavli’s manuscript, Sepher HaTzava , Bialystok, 1840‶0, which contained a number of important rabbinic autograph letters and earned $24,600, nearly tripling its pre-auction estimate of $6/8,000. A personal letter by Chaya Moussia Schneerson (the last Lubavitcher Rebbetzin) written just a few days prior to her wedding in 1928, additionally roused a strong response from buyers and garnered $7,995, well over its presale estimate of $2/3,000.
Among the graphic arts in the sale, a charming petite oil painting of a Jewish farmer by Issachar Ber Ryback in the artists’ original custom frame, earned $14,760, while Ze’ev Raban’s delightful poster “Tourism in Palestine-Come and See Erez Israel,” Jerusalem, 1929, also found favor with buyers, reaching $14,760.
In the ceremonial art section, a rare Eighteenth Century Nürnburg silver Kiddush cup, consigned by a historic New York Congregation, was highly sought after. After competitive bidding it reached $14,760, more than doubling its estimate of $5/7,000. A silver Hanukah lamp, Vienna, 1845, was another top performer, garnering $11,070.
Prices reported include the buyer’s premium. For information, 212-366-1197 or www.kestenbaum.net .
