Auction 100 – Important Hebrew Manuscripts and Books from the Victor (Avigdor) Klagsbald Collection
By Kedem
Jan 21, 2025
8 Ramban St, Jerusalem., Israel

The importance of the Victor (Avigdor) Klagsbald Collection can hardly be overestimated, charting nearly a millennium of Jewish life across the globe – some one thousand years of religion, culture, literature and art.

Mr. Klagsbald, who passed away 5 years ago, was one of the most prominent collectors of Jewish art in the second half of the 20th century and a noted scholar, who built a collection of exceptional quality, much of which is now being offered for auction.

Each item in the collection was professionally catalogued by Mr. Klagsbald himself, who also added detailed descriptions in neat, cursive French along with enclosed photographs. These descriptions were indexed by subject and kept in organized dossiers, of which our researchers made use while preparing the present catalogue. Many items from the collection were made known to the public throughout the years in books and articles he authored; we select for particular mention Klagsbald's catalogue of Moroccan manuscripts, published in Paris in 1980 – Catalogue des manuscrits marocains de la collection Klagsbald – and his book A l'ombre de Dieu: dix essais sur la symbolique dans l'art juif, published in Belgium in 1997. Mr. Klagsbald was also one of the founders of the Museum of Jewish Art and History (mahJ) in Paris, and authored the catalogue of the Cluny collection now preserved in the museum, which was exhibited in the Israel Museum in 1982.

The present catalogue contains a selection of manuscripts, important printed books in first and rare editions, copies of distinguished ownership and with annotations, and letters and signatures spanning Orient and Occident, all scarce to be found. The two hundred lots featured in the catalogue include early manuscripts such as Sefer HaPeliah scribed in Tripoli (Lebanon), 1497; Moshav Zekenim, scribed in Crotone (Italy), 1473 – formerly Ms. Sassoon 409; Midrash HaGadol, written by the renowned scribe R. David son of Benaiah of Sanaa (Yemen), 1473; and several volumes of halachic rulings from Morocco, including hundreds of autographs and thousands of signatures by Moroccan rabbis from various cities. One of the volumes contains a letter handwritten and signed by R. Chaim ibn Attar, the Or HaChaim (many items in the collection originate from the Abensour collection in Fez).

The parchment manuscripts include decorated and illustrated siddurim such as the Arizal's Tikunei Shabbat, crafted by the scribe and illuminator Meshulam Simmel of Polna in Vienna, 1714, and Haggadot illustrated in the style of the Moravian school. The books with handwritten glosses include Zohar Chadash – the personal copy of kabbalist R. Moshe Zacuto, with his glosses, as well as the signature of the Chida; a manuscript of Sefer HaKavanot compiled by kabbalist R. Natan Nata Hannover, with his signature and many glosses in his hand; and a Pri Etz Chaim manuscript, scribed by R. Moshe of Liuboml, which belonged to R. Avraham Gershon of Kitov, brother-in-law of the Baal Shem Tov. The catalogue also includes unpublished manuscript works, including one authored by a disciple of the Pnei Yehoshua and R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz, with an original letter of ordination from the latter; and a Chassidic work with original letters of approbation by Rebbe Mordechai Dov of Hornostaipil and his sons.

On the occasion of its 16th anniversary and its 100th catalogue, Kedem Auction House is honored to present the Klagsbald Collection for public auction. We strive – and will continue to strive – to offer our clients rare and important items and to present them in high-quality and accurate catalogues. We have endeavored to uphold this aspiration in the present catalogue as well.


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LOT 3:

Portrait of Rabbi Moses Nasch, Rabbi of Zwolle – Oil on Canvas – The Netherlands, 19th Century

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Auction took place on Jan 21, 2025 at Kedem
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Portrait of Rabbi Moses Nasch, Rabbi of Zwolle – Oil on Canvas – The Netherlands, 19th Century

Portrait of R. Moses Nasch. Unknown artist (unsigned). [Presumably the Netherlands, 19th century]. Oil on canvas, mounted on wood panel.


The portrait is enclosed within an illustrated round frame supported by three books. Under the portrait is the inscription: "Depiction of the splendid countenance of the sage… R. Moses Nasch Rabbi of Zwolle and the region".


R. Moses ben Joel Nasch (alternatively, MiNasch) served for some thirty years as posek in Nijkerk, Gelderland. In 1802, he was appointed as Rabbi of Zwolle, Overijssel. He passed away in Elul 1807. In the introduction to his book, Yismach Moshe (Leiden, 1771), he recounts his life story in flowery Hebrew, stating that as a young man, he wandered from one city to the next, sermonizing to the Jewish public at large, "showing the people the path to teshuvah, and instructing them on how to mend their ways". At one point in time, he fell victim to false charges and was consequently imprisoned by the authorities, but was released thanks to petitions delivered on his behalf by R. Saul Rabbi of Amsterdam, and his brother-in-law, R. Saul HaLevi Rabbi of The Hague. Following his marriage, after receiving rabbinical ordination from R. Saul of Amsterdam, he was appointed as posek in Nijkerk. Toward the end of his life, he served as Rabbi of Zwolle. In addition to Yismach Moshe, he published a prayer order – entitled "Mizmor Shir Chanukat HaBayit" (Amsterdam, 1801) – on the occasion of the inauguration of the synagogue in Nijkerk.
The three books pictured underneath the portrait represent the works of R. Moses Nasch: Yismach Moshe, VaYoel Moshe, and VaYaster Moshe; of the three, only Yismach Moshe (published, as previously stated, in 1771) is known to have survived. An engraving bearing an almost identical portrait of R. Moses Nasch was printed in the Netherlands in the early 19th century (the three books appear there with the aforementioned titles), and possibly, it was based upon the present oil painting.
See: M.H. Gans, Memorbook, p. 263 (engraving by A. Joëls of Zwolle). See also Kedem, Auction 95, Lot 363.


Painting: approx. 27X20 cm. Frame: approx. 39.5X33.5 cm. Gilt frame, old. Inscription on back of frame: "Joel S fecit". Damage to painting and frame.


Provenance: Acquired in Amsterdam, Speyer Antiquariat, 1949.


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