B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum® - Virtual Gallery

Highlights from the Museum's collection of important Judaica and other works of art

Ceremonial Objects

Ark Decoration with Tablets of the Law (detail) 
United States, early 20th century
Pierced sheet brass, glass eyes 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection 

Atara (detail) 
Eastern Europe, 19th century
Silver wire and cotton 
Gift of Pearl C. Franck
The atara is a collar which decorates the neckband of the prayer shawl.

Salt Cellar 
Russia, c. 1873
Silver
Inscribed in Hebrew, underside of lid
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

B'nai B'rith Chanukah Lamp 
Prague, Czechoslovakia [Czech Republic], 1927
Cast and engraved brass 
Gift of Mrs. Louise Oestreicher 

Manuscript for Ritual Circumciser (Mohel)
Bohemia/Moravia [Czech Republic(?)], 18th century(?)
Ink on parchment 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection 

Scroll of Esther, with Case (detail)
Israel, ca. 1950
Scroll: pen and ink on parchment; Case: silver 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection 

Shiviti  
North Africa (?), mid-19th century (?)
Sepia on paper  
The central menorah motif is made up of the words of Psalm 67. Around three sides, from upper right, clockwise is the text of Psalm 121. At top: Know before whom you are standing/The King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. 
An amulet intended to protect its owner from harm, a shiviti is a reminder of God’s presence, and is intended for the eastern wall of a synagogue. 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Synagogue Lectern Cover  
Italy, 1853/4 (5614)
Velvet embroidered with silk and metallic gold thread 
Inscribed in Hebrew, surrrounding central floral motif: Offered from the heart by Elvira Fano. She worked willingly with her hands [Prov.31:13] to serve in holiness to beautify the dwelling of the Eternal, in the year 5614 [1853/4]
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Tablets of the Law  
Italy (?) 18th century
Carved and painted wood 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection
The first words of the Ten Commandments are painted on the tablets, which were probably placed above the Torah Ark in a synagogue.

Torah Crown  
Poland, last quarter of the 19th century
Cast, repoussé, parcel-gilt and engraved silver 
Marks: GS and maker’s name (G. Smosn(i)? in Cyrillic); Lepszy 33; unidentified mark
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Torah Crown  
Mantua, Italy. ca. 1810
Cast, repoussé, hammered and engraved silver
Marks: R3 7329 [800/100 standard; in use in Italy 1810-1872], 7391 (Mantua), and SIC1
Six cartouches on the base enclose the following images, each identified by a Hebrew inscription beneath: a table with shewbread; a menorah, manna, Mount Sinai with the Tablets of the Law, an incense shovel and a flaming altar.
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Torah Crown  
Ori Resheff, (b. Israel, 1955) designer and silversmith
Israel, 1996
Silver and patinated copper 
Gift of the B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum trustees and
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz 

Torah Finial 
Augsburg, Germany, late 18th century
Cast, repoussé, hammered and engraved silver
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection  

Torah Finials  
Rotterdam, Holland, probably 1784
Cast, open-work, parcel-gilt, and engraved silver 
Marks: Rotterdam city mark, lion, B(?), and ?B1
Joseph B.and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Torah Finials  
Budapest, Hungary or Berlin, Germany, 19th century
Cast, open-work, parcel-gilt, and engraved silver
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Household and Personal Objects

Student's Good Conduct Certificate  (detail)
Leipnik, Moravia, 1848
Engraving, inscribed in pen and ink

Chanukah Lamp  
North Africa, possibly Morocco, 18th century
Cast and pierced bronze
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Chanukah Lamp  
North Africa (?), 19th century
Cast brass 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Chanukah Lamp
Holland [The Netherlands] or Northern Germany, 18th century
Hammered, cut-out and repoussé brass 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Chanukah Lamp  
Germany, first half of 19th century
Cast and engraved pewter 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Chanukah Lamp  
Western Ukraine, 1700-1800
Bronze 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection 

Chanukah Lamp  
Italy, 17th-18th century
Cast brass 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection 

Chanukah Lamp 
Poland, 19th century
Cast Brass
Inscribed in Hebrew, on central heart-shaped element "To Kindle the Hanukkah lights"
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Dreidl  
Peter Ehrenthal, designer
United States, 1960
Silver
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection 

Esther Scroll (detail) 
Amsterdam, 17th - 18th Century
Ink on parchment; carved wood 
Inscriptions: On frontispiece: Purim blessings 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Kiddush Cups  
Possibly Persian, 20th century
Enameled nickel
Inscriptions: In Hebrew, recto: Blessed is the fruit of the vine on one side of the cup; in Hebrew, verso: Zion
Morton B. Hirschberg Judaica Collection

Miniature Mantle Clock
Probably Viennese, late 19th century
Partially silver-plated and cast and painted brass  
Inscriptions: On base, in Hebrew: Take us back, O Eternal, to Yourself, And we will come back; Renew our days as of old. [Lam.5:21]
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Papercut for Eastern Wall (Mizrah) (detail) 
Russia, 1810
Ink and gouache on cut paper
Inscriptions: This papercut was prepared as a gift to a friend by Ephraim Joseph Ginsburg.
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Sabbath Candlesticks  
Danzig [Gdansk], Poland [formerly Prussia], ca.1700
Cast, repoussé, engraved and parcel-gilt silver 
Acquired by donors from James Robinson, Inc. in 1962; previously in the collection of the Marquess of Exeter, Burghly House by Stamford, U.K.
Marks: 5; indistinct maker's mark; R37989 (restamping of Lemberg [Lvov] 1806-07 and 7884; restamping 1809-10)
Inscriptions: In Hebrew, at base of each candlestick: indication of ownership by Naftali and Ziporah Hertz
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Sabbath Lamp (Judenstern)
Germany, c.1880s
Brass 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Sabbath Lamp
Holland or Italy, 18th century
Brass 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Scroll of Esther, with Case
Zeev Raban (1890-1970), Bezalel School, designer and illustrator
Jerusalem, Palestine [Israel], 1927
Scroll: watercolor and ink/parchment; Case: cast silver with applied balls and filigree 
Inscriptions: On case, in Hebrew: dedication indicating that object was intended as a gfit for Bezalel members.
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Scroll of Esther, with Ivory roller (detail) 
Venice, Italy, ca. 1700
Scroll: Ink and gouache/parchment; Roller: carved ivory 
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection 

Spice Container 
Bezalel School, Jerusalem, Palestine [Israel], c. 1920
Silver and turquoise
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection 

Spice Container 
Persia [Iran], 19th century
Silver?  
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Wall Plaque (detail)
Italy, 18th century
Hand-colored woodcut on paper  
Inscriptions: Left hand column: Blessings for Sabbath and Festival lights in Italian; Right hand column: same blessings in Hebrew
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection

Paintings, Sculpture and Other Works of Art

The Processional (detail) 
Bezalel School, attributed to Boris Schatz
Jerusalem, Palestine [Israel], c. 1915-20
Silver repousse plaque, mounted on wood 
Gift of Samuel M. Dodek, M.D., in loving memory of Lena Ettinger Dodek and Meyer Benjamin Dodek, parents of Samuel M. Dodek, M.D. and Oscar I. Dodek, Sr.

Miscellaneous

Zionist Folk Art (detail)
Attributed to Jakob Dreisin, Polish, 20th c.
Poland, ca. 1930
Ink on ivory and dried peas (?); carved wood, glass
Inscriptions: In Hebrew, on diamond-shaped pendant: Hatikvah verses; in Hebrew, on dried peas attached to base: Biblical texts with Zionist references
Joseph B. and Olyn Horwitz Collection