Hanukah Menorah with Electric Plug (1995); pen and ink; image size approx. 8" x 5 1/2"; signed Mark Podwal in the lower left

Mark Podwal is an author, artist, and practicing dermatologist. His sketches, such as this one, are spare and whimsically humorous. An ornate European style chanukiah with its oil lamps and its baroque embellishments of vines and birds may also be powered by electricity in the American style. But where are the electric bulbs? This sketch became an illustration in Jewish Days by Francine Klagsbrun.

The piece will be shipped framed at no extra cost.

In Drawing Jerusalem (1996), the hand of a yad uses a quill to draw an image of Jerusalem within its walls. The Image size of this pen and ink drawing is approximately 9 1/2" x 6"; signed by the artist on the lower right. The sketch comes framed.

This handmade Persian ketuba was used approximately 100 years ago. The contract was for the marriage between Bavagan ben Yaakov and Sarah bat Shlomo ha Levi in the Hebrew year 5660. (The year 1900 overlaps 5760-61.) The decorations include a panel with 20 good wishes in Hebrew, flowers and multi-colored borders of arrow shaped elements. The crudeness of the decorative work adds to the interest of this piece. Watercolor and ink on paper (approx. 17 1/4" x 13 1/2").

Because antique ketubot were generally folded away for storage, as in this case,one almost always finds damage due to that folding. This ketuba is in fair condition with some separation on the fold lines, some minor losses on the top left corner, the top and bottom edges (particularly on the central fold line), within the image (again on the fold lines). In the image there are a few light spots and small areas where the watercolor has run. Overall, however, the ketuba is bright and clean and looks good.

The quoted price DOES NOT include the red frame shown in the photo. The ketuba will be sent flat without a frame. If you wish to have it sent in this frame, please contact us for the frame price and shipping costs.

This small (4 x 2 3/4 in.) watercolor and pencil sketch on wove paper appears to be a study for a poster that would advertise wines of the Grands Caves Rishon. A woman's hand holds a card on which Raban has briefly indicated the bottle labels of the 5 new wine brands to be advertised. Behind the large card stand various wine bottles and a wine glass, perhaps set up for a tasting. Raban's poster designs were very influential in the newly evolving area of advertising in British Mandate Palestine. The English lettering of the poster suggests this time period after WWI; we do not know whether this poster was ever published. The sketch is signed Z. Raban (in Hebrew) below the woman's hand. It is in very good condition, with only a small piece of tape on the lower left rear and an apparent small loss just below the tail of the R in Rishon.

This is a manuscript sheet taken from a 19th century copy of the Judeo-Persian biblical epic Shoftim namah composed originally in 1692 by Aharon b. Mashiah. This manuscript is a versification of The Book of Judges. The image depicts an unidentified battle. There is Judeo-Persian text on the reverse side as well. (Judeo-Persian has a relationship to Pharsee that is similar to the relationship of Yiddish to German.) The condition of the sheet is poor with tape repairs (and their attendant stains), additional tears on the edges, losses on the right and lower left edges, pencil marks, and dirt stains. The image itself is, however, in relatively good condition with bright, clean colors and minor scrapes. The piece will be shipped flat and in an acid-free mat.

sheet size - 12 1/2" x 8 1/4"