Bidspirit auction | One of a Kind! Magnificent

One of a Kind! Magnificent set of Machzorim  Custom-made for the Printer’s Wife Amsterdam, 1750 * A magnificent Machzor for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. An exceptionally impressive copy, personally and specially printed on thick paper, with extra wide margins with the original, elegant binding. This magnificent Machzor is the only one in the world. It was printed especially for Hendele Kashman, wife of the renowned Amsterdam printer Kaschman ben Yosef Baruch. At the center of the title page in both volumes of the Machzor, her name is printed: Hendele, wife of R' Kashman. The Machzorim were bound especially for her by master bookbinders in Amsterdam, in a luxurious leather binding, with frames and ornaments in gold and green silk fabric clasps. At the top of the binding her name was stamped in gold letters: Hendele, wife of R' Kashsen [Kashman]. The Machzor includes a lengthy Yiddish commentary, as well as laws and practices entitled Hadras Kodesh, also in Yiddish. These were prepared especially for women and children, who were not accustomed to Lashon HaKodesh, as stated on the title page: “And in particular for women and children who haven't sinned.” The Rofe–Kashman Family of Printers The printing press of the Rofe–Kashman family operated in Amsterdam for over one hundred years. They printed hundreds of sefarim and left a lasting imprint on Amsterdam Hebrew printing. The printing press was founded in 1726 by the renowned physician R' Naftali Hertz Levi in Amsterdam. In 1746 he brought his son-in-law Kashman in as a partner in the printing press, and they printed sefarim together until 1766. From then on, Kashman printed independently. In 1770, R' Yochanan Levi Rofe, son of the aforementioned Naftali Hertz, established an independent printing press that operated until 1827, after which the press passed into the hands of Naftali Hertz van Emden. (Sources: Friedberg, History of Hebrew Printing in Europe, Antwerp 1937, pp. 48–50). The title pages of the Machzorim feature a handwritten inscription and signature of the printer Yochanan Levi Rofe: “This book was given as a gift by my mother-in-law z”l to my brother-in-law Baruch, may he live, and as testimony I have signed my name, 27 Iyar 1777.” There is also the signature of the printer Naftali Hertz ben Baruch van Emden, who gave the Machzorim as a gift to his wife in 1869. Amsterdam, 1750. Printing press of Hertz Levi Rofe and his son-in-law Kashman. “Printed in quarto with several additions.” Page Count: Vol. I: [2], 22, 92, 5 leaves. Vol. II: [1], 22, 93–282 leaves. Size: 29 cm. Condition: Very good . Light cracks and minor flaws to the bindings