Bidspirit auction | Colorfully Embroidered Sabbath Tablecloth –

Colorfully Embroidered Sabbath Tablecloth – Kurdistan, Late 19th Century. - A rare and important textile, this embroidered Sabbath and festival tablecloth originates from the Jewish community of Kurdistan in the late 19th century. Crafted from cotton ground fabric and adorned with colored silk-thread embroidery, patterned appliqué fabrics, and bordered by delicate black fringes, this piece exemplifies the elaborate artistry of Kurdish Jewish women, who preserved and expressed their cultural identity through needlework. The round composition is masterfully executed with densely embroidered, symmetrical foliate and rosette motifs, interspersed with stylized floral vines, medallions, and depictions of birds resting along riverbanks — a motif symbolizing peace, sustenance, and divine blessing. The intricate embroidery radiates from a central medallion, creating a balanced, almost architectural harmony of sacred ornament. What distinguishes this tablecloth is its extensive embroidered Hebrew inscriptions, set in circular patterns. The outermost inscription contains the teaching from Pirkei Avot 3:3 (with reference to Ezekiel 41:22): “Rabbi Shimon began and said: Three who ate at one table and spoke words of Torah, it is as if they ate at the table of God, as it is stated: ‘And he said to me: This is the table that is before God.’” The four inner medallions bear the words of Pirkei Avot 6:4, stitched sequentially across the circles: “Bread with salt you shall eat, water in small measure you shall drink…” — a teaching emphasizing humility and devotion in Jewish life. At the center medallion appears a dedicatory inscription, now difficult to fully discern, but once declaring either the name of the family who commissioned it or a blessing in honor of the Sabbath. Such tablecloths were used to cover either the Sabbath table itself or the food platters upon it, elevating the meal into a sanctified ritual. They were brought out for Shabbat, festivals, and special family ceremonies, making them both functional and profoundly symbolic. Only a handful of examples of this type are known to survive, most held today in the collections of leading Judaica and ethnographic museums. The present example, with its  preserved embroidery, luminous silk threads, and intact Hebrew inscriptions, represents one of the finest survivals of Kurdish Jewish textile art. See similar examples at: Kedem October 31, 2023 sale lot 52. The Jewish Museum of New York ascension number; F 4007 80cm Diameter Approx. 250cm Circumference