Skies of Parchment, Seas of Ink: Jewish Illuminated Manuscripts

by Marc Michael Epstein (Editor), Eva Frojmovic (Contribution by), Jenna Siman Jacobs (Contribution by), Hartley Lachter (Contribution by), Shalom Sabar (Contribution by)

Overview

A superbly illustrated history of five centuries of Jewish manuscripts

The love of books in the Jewish tradition extends back over many centuries, and the ways of interpreting those books are as myriad as the traditions themselves. Skies of Parchment, Seas of Ink offers the first full survey of Jewish illuminated manuscripts, ranging from their origins in the Middle Ages to the present day. Featuring some of the most beautiful examples of Jewish art of all time—including hand-illustrated versions of the Bible, the Haggadah, the prayer book, marriage documents, and other beloved Jewish texts—the book introduces readers to the history of these manuscripts and their interpretation.

Edited by Marc Michael Epstein with contributions from leading experts, this sumptuous volume features a lively and informative text, showing how Jewish aesthetic tastes and iconography overlapped with and diverged from those of Christianity, Islam, and other traditions. Featured manuscripts were commissioned by Jews and produced by Jews and non-Jews over many centuries, and represent Eastern and Western perspectives and the views of both pietistic and liberal communities across the Diaspora, including Europe, Israel, the Middle East, and Africa.

Magnificently illustrated with pages from hundreds of manuscripts, many previously unpublished or rarely seen, Skies of Parchment, Seas of Ink offers surprising new perspectives on Jewish life, presenting the books of the People of the Book as never before.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691165240
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	04/13/2015
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	1,022,536
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 11.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Marc Michael Epstein is the Mattie M. Paschall (1899) and Norman Davis Chair of Religion and Visual Culture at Vassar College. His most recent book, The Medieval Haggadah: Art, Narrative, and Religious Imagination, was named one of the best books of 2011 by the Times Literary Supplement. Eva Frojmovic is lecturer in the history of art at the University of Leeds. Jenna Siman Jacobs is curatorial manager at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Hartley Lachter is the Berman Chair in Jewish Studies at Lehigh University. Shalom Sabar is professor of folklore and the arts at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Raymond P. Scheindlin is professor of medieval Hebrew literature at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Ágnes Vető teaches religion at Vassar College. Susan Vick is curator of Judaica at Goldsmith Museum of Chizuk Amuno Congregation in Baltimore and associate professor of art history at the University of Maryland. Barbara Wolff is a New York-based illuminator of manuscripts using medieval methods. Diane Wolfthal is the David and Caroline Minter Chair in the Humanities at Rice University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii
1Introduction: For the Love of Books 1
Marc Michael Epstein
2People of the Book/Books of the People: Illuminating the Canon 19
Hartley Lachter with Marc Michael Epstein
3Parchments and Palimpsests: Scribe, Illuminator, Patron, Audience 29
Marc Michael Epstein
Focus: The Illuminated Page: Materials, Methods, and Techniques
Barbara Wolff 40
4Mapping the Territory: ʾArbʿah Kanfot Haʾareẓ—The Four Corners of the Medieval Jewish World 47
Ereẓ Yisrael/The Land of Israel: Homeland and Center
Marc Michael Epstein 47
Italia/Italy: The First Western Diaspora
Marc Michael Epstein 55
Ashkenaz: Franco-Germany, England, Central and East Europe
Eva Frojmovic with Marc Michael Epstein 63
Sepharad and ʿArav: Spain and the Middle East
Raymond P. Scheindlin with Marc Michael Epstein 72
The Problem of "National Style"
Eva Frojmovic with Marc Michael Epstein 77
5No Graven Image: Permitted Depictions, Forbidden Depictions, and Creative Solutions 89
Eva Frojmovic and Marc Michael Epstein
Focus: Exploring the Mystery of the Birds’ Head Haggadah
Marc Michael Epstein 97
6Iconography: Telling the Story 105
Marc Michael Epstein
Geographical Distinctions 105
Approaches to the Biblical Narrative 122
7Dialogue and Disputation: Cultural Negotiation 145
Marc Michael Epstein
Under Edom 145
Under Ishmael 153
8This World: Centered on the Home—Women, Marriage, and the Family 159
Shalom Sabar
Focus: "Glimpses of Jewish Life": Reality or Illusion?
Marc Michael Epstein 175
Focus: "Incidental Details": Margins and Meaning
Marc Michael Epstein 182
Focus: "Sacred and Profane": Naked Ladies in the Haggadah?
Ágnes Vető 188
9Other Worlds: Fantastic Horizons and Unseen Universes 193
Hartley Lachter with Marc Michael Epstein
10Zion and Jerusalem: "The Sum of All Beauty, the Joy of All the Earth" 205
Shalom Sabar
11In the Royal Court: Jewish Illumination in an Age of Printing 215
Marc Michael Epstein
Focus: A Yiddish Minhagim Manuscript 225
Diane Wolfthal
12Illuminating the Present: Contemporary Jewish Illumination 229
Susan Vick with Marc Michael Epstein
13Continuing the Journey: Annotated Bibliography and Manuscript Descriptions 255
Jenna Siman Jacobs with Marc Michael Epstein
Manuscripts and Facsimiles 255
Surveys 261
Collection Surveys and Exhibition Catalogues 263
Studies 265
Contributor Biographies 267
Index 269
Photo Credits 276

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"There is simply no other book like this. Enlightening, accessible, and superbly written in a clear and jargon-free style, it makes a much-needed contribution to our knowledge of Jewish visual and literary cultures. It will no doubt be a coveted volume."—Maya Balakirsky Katz, Touro College

Editorial Reviews

"A book that successfully paints both a broad and detailed landscape. The text is clearly written, and the approximately three hundred illustrations are well chosen, beautifully reproduced, and smartly laid out on the printed page. . . . Epstein's theories are intriguing and are certain to pique the interest of his readers. Perhaps more importantly for most potential readers, Skies of Parchmentreflects the essence and beauty of its subject matter."

Jewish Book Council

"Winner of the 2015 National Jewish Book Award in Visual Arts, Jewish Book Council"

Finalist for the 2015 National Jewish Book Award in Scholarship (Nahum M. Sarna Memorial Award), Jewish Book Council

Honorable Mention for the 2016 PROSE Award in Art History & Criticism, Association of American Publishers

From the Publisher