June 17, 2010
It’s been a while since my first blog and, in the long interim, I’ve been to Israel and Jordan.
Aside from visiting some collectors and seeing what’s being offered at some of the galleries and stores there, one very astute collector encouraged me to visit a special exhibition at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem.. This is a museum that hasn’t got much attention over the past 18 years of its existence. However, it is a jewel of a museum, sitting in the shadow of its much larger neighbor, the Israel Museum. It is a lovely space with beautiful galleries and clearly organized collections. Even though the galleries are well lit, the architectual space reminded me of the dark, monumental stone palaces and tombs of the Ancient Near East. My only annoyance was acoustics. One person with very thin high heels was trying to find the way out in a real hurry and made quite a racket on the stone floors.
Perhaps most relevant for readers of this blog is the fact that the entire museum was conceived by, supported by, and organized by very passionate and philanthropic collectors Elie and Batya Borowski. Dr. Borowski began collecting while hiding during WWII in Switzerland and built a magnificent collection in the successive years. Visit the museum’s website more information, www.blmj.org.
If you go, plan to spend several pleasant hours wandering through the permanent exhibition which is organized chronologically, although it is interpreted thematically and references many of the customs, language, trade, and economic related to the peoples who wrote the Bible or who were described in it. There are some amazing artifacts.
Why did I end up here and why am I sharing my visit? The Museum, in line with its bold approach to interpretation and emphasis on artifacts, is also showing an extraordinary show entitled Angels and Demons: Jewish Magic through the Ages. The exhibition’s exquisite catalogue supplements the elaborate wall texts and expands on mystical practices and concepts in Judaism, including Kabbalah throughout the ages. For the collector, however, this was a rare opportunity to see an expansive array of amulets, magic bowls, figurines, magical texts from ancient times, spanning the Ancient worls, the Byzantine Age,the Medieval period, the Age of Enlightenment, and up to the present. Many of the objects were carefully selected from Israel’s museum and academic collections. However, a large and important of the exhibition was supplied by very well-cultivated private collectors who chose handsome and unique artifacts from their extensive private collections. The catalog is sure to become an indispensible tool for those trying to build a solid collection among the amulets that collectors (and appraisers) frequently encounter in today’s market. Now, when I have to appraise an amulet – and I’m frequently encountering all sorts of amulets from many eras and customs and regions – I will have this exhibition catalogue close at hand.
More soon on what’s hot in Judaica collecting.
It’s been a while since my first blog and, in the long interim, I’ve been to Israel and Jordan.
Aside from visiting some collectors and seeing what’s being offered at some of the galleries and stores there, one very astute collector encouraged me to visit a special exhibition at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem.. This is a museum that hasn’t got much attention over the past 18 years of its existence. However, it is a jewel of a museum, sitting in the shadow of its much larger neighbor, the Israel Museum. It is a lovely space with beautiful galleries and clearly organized collections. Even though the galleries are well lit, the architectual space reminded me of the dark, monumental stone palaces and tombs of the Ancient Near East. My only annoyance was acoustics. One person with very thin high heels was trying to find the way out in a real hurry and made quite a racket on the stone floors.
Perhaps most relevant for readers of this blog is the fact that the entire museum was conceived by, supported by, and organized by very passionate and philanthropic collectors Elie and Batya Borowski. Dr. Borowski began collecting while hiding during WWII in Switzerland and built a magnificent collection in the successive years. Visit the museum’s website more information, www.blmj.org.
If you go, plan to spend several pleasant hours wandering through the permanent exhibition which is organized chronologically, although it is interpreted thematically and references many of the customs, language, trade, and economic related to the peoples who wrote the Bible or who were described in it. There are some amazing artifacts.
Why did I end up here and why am I sharing my visit? The Museum, in line with its bold approach to interpretation and emphasis on artifacts, is also showing an extraordinary show entitled Angels and Demons: Jewish Magic through the Ages. The exhibition’s exquisite catalogue supplements the elaborate wall texts and expands on mystical practices and concepts in Judaism, including Kabbalah throughout the ages. For the collector, however, this was a rare opportunity to see an expansive array of amulets, magic bowls, figurines, magical texts from ancient times, spanning the Ancient worls, the Byzantine Age,the Medieval period, the Age of Enlightenment, and up to the present. Many of the objects were carefully selected from Israel’s museum and academic collections. However, a large and important of the exhibition was supplied by very well-cultivated private collectors who chose handsome and unique artifacts from their extensive private collections. The catalog is sure to become an indispensible tool for those trying to build a solid collection among the amulets that collectors (and appraisers) frequently encounter in today’s market. Now, when I have to appraise an amulet – and I’m frequently encountering all sorts of amulets from many eras and customs and regions – I will have this exhibition catalogue close at hand.
More soon on what’s hot in Judaica collecting.
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Posted on July 14, 2021 at 3:15 PM