I assume this cute vase isn't an antique, but my Chinese mark reading skills are on the weak side so any info would be much appreciated. [ATTACH]...
The catch has a locking mechanism so it stays closed even in an upright position. Regarding the frame being a later addition, this means the pin...
I don't see that any one has answered - it's a Jewish prayer book. Late 19th or early 20th century from what I can see. It's a shame the title...
The truth is that the links being base metal is a guess. They show some darkening at soldering spots, which I thought may indicate another metal,...
What have I thrifted? I got it for the hefty sum of $3 at a yard sale. It's marked 585 and GJ. The besel is gold and the link frame base metal. Is...
You're right; I wrote mallet but meant gavel.
I think I IDd the congregation - it's "B'nai Israel Anshe Ungarn" (Sons of Israel, people of Hungary) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Ungarn being the...
Thank you for the compliment. I actually work for a wonderful heritage preservation project in which we register and create an online presence of...
That's definitely a solid direction. I'll try and find similar contemporaries. Polish or Russian stamps? Do you hapen to remember? Actually,...
Yes. In this case it signifies a spice holder for the ceremony that ends the sabbath.
That's an interesting thought. I would guess the silversmith had the medallions ready and didn't design them himself, so they would have to have...
I'll definitely try comparing it to town emblems. I suppose it can be any of the hundreds of shtetls across the pale of settlement.
Wow, quite a find! I looked at a number of similar lamps but all the medallions I found were blank. What does it show? Is it a bunch of arrows and...
The medallion in question is set in a typical silver filigree Eastern European hanukkah lamp. I can't figure out the iconography and its origins...
This one is actally by a very high profile and collectable workshop, Maskit. Says so above the "made in Israel". Maskit was founded by socialite...
That's really interesting. I don't think the Chinese look is meant to represent any kind of eastern Jews. It's probably the only type of human...
Most welcome. I love old ketubbahs (and equally detest the restrictive marriage institution they represent!).
Traditional ketubbahs always state the date of the marriage according to the Jewish calendar. Here it's wednesday, Sivan (=name of month) 13th,...
Assyrians and Kurdi Jews still use aramaic, but yes, it's mostly reserved for talmud study and rituals. I have studied some talmud, but in fact...
Well, yes and no. It's a 1919 ketubbah from Aït Ayoub, Morocco. See the typical Morrocan border. Ketubbahs are traditionally written in aramaic,...
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