A centuries-old Hebrew prayer book has sold for tens of thousands of pounds at auction much to the amazement of a Cumbrian couple who had no idea it was so valuable.
The 18th-century manuscript of Tikune Shabat (prayers and devotions for the Sabbath) sold for a hammer price of £57,000 to an international phone bidder at Hansons Auctioneers (Sept 5) after an intense international bidding battle. It had been guided at £5,000-£10,000. The total paid with buyer’s premium was £71,250.
The sellers, retired teachers Martin Wilson, 66, and his 77-year-old wife Susan, from Grange-over-Sands, watched the auction live online as three phone bidders battled against the internet to own the book. Though they knew it was of some historical significance, they had no idea it would spark such strong demand.
Martin said: “It was with a degree of incredulity that we watched the sale. We are a little stunned by the outcome. It will no doubt take a little time to sink in!
“The prayer book was discovered by my wife’s uncle, a Dutchman who lived in central Amsterdam most of his life. When he passed away a number of years ago, his wife, my wife’s aunt, looked after the book, not realising its significance. Our aunt passed away last summer at the age of 98 and the book passed to my wife. We think it’s been in the family for around 50 years.
“We were selling a Harry Potter book with Hansons and, by chance, took the prayer book with us to show their books expert Jim Spencer. He took an interest in it and organised expert consideration.
“We were aware it was old, exquisitely made and of some historical significance. However we were not aware of just how much significance. We thank Jim very much for his help in this matter.”
Jim reached out to the British Library to assess the decorated manuscript. A possible connection to prominent German rabbi Jacob Emden (1697-1776), who championed Orthodox Judaism, was uncovered.
Jim, head of Hansons’ Library Auction, said: “Our research helped us grasp how important this manuscript was. Similar examples exist in museums. Bidders were not slow to understand its value. Advance bids reached £11,500 soon after the auction catalogue went live. The final result surpassed all expectations.
“One man from London came to view it and his reaction on studying it made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. He just kept saying, ‘this is so important’. He was completely in awe. I’ve never had a client appreciate an object like that before.
“And yet it was shown to me as something of an after-thought. The vendor visited me to consign a Harry Potter book. However, before we shook hands to leave, he pulled this little leather case out of his bag and asked me if it was anything worth looking at.
“I was completely bowled over by it. It’s beautiful. I reached out to museums and eventually received the kind help and immense knowledge of Ilana Tahan, lead curator of Hebrew and Christian Orient Collections at the British Library. Ilana provided the information necessary to catalogue the item. It’s an important part of Jewish history, a museum piece that deserves to be treasured.”
The book states it belonged to Abraham ben [son of] Meir Emden, and the date given is Thursday, 13 of the Hebrew month of Shevat, 517 [i.e. 5517], which corresponds to February 3, 1757.
Though hard to prove, it is possible Abraham was the son of Meir Emden whose father was the prominent German rabbi and Talmudist Jacob Emden (1697-1776). Meir Emden (1717-1795) had been a rabbi and Av Bet-Din (senior jurist) at Constantine in the Ukraine.
The manuscript contains Sabbath hymns, the prayer for the New Moon, and Perek Shirah, an ancient hymn of praise in which every created thing – from the animate to the celestial – thanks God for its existence.
Featured on the decorated title page are Moses holding the Tablets of the Law, and Aaron, his brother, dressed in high priest vestments. This is a frequent motif in 18th-century Hebrew manuscripts and has its roots in the ornamented pages of earlier imprints from Amsterdam and other European printing centres.
The animal, celestial and vegetal illustrations enclosed within mauve and blue ink medallions are part of the Perek Shirah hymn. Several illustrations show families around a table celebrating the Sabbath.
A particularly interesting illustration is placed at the beginning of the prayer for the new moon [Birkat ha-levanah] and shows a group of men dressed in black garments gazing upwards at a crescent moon.
Part of the text is written in Rashi unvocalised script, a semi-cursive script based on a 15th century Sephardic (originating in the Iberian peninsula) handwriting.
The Hebrew manuscript sold for a hammer price of £57,000 in Hansons Auctioneers’ Library Auction on September 5, 2023.
To find out more, email: [email protected]. Entries are invited for the November Library Auction.
