Bidspirit auction | Five Books of the Torah,

Five Books of the Torah, Tikun Sofrim – Amsterdam, 1666 – Color Illustrated Title Page – Special Copy with Printed Dedication to Rabbi and Printer R. Avraham Yitzchak Castilo - Five Books of the Torah, Tikun Sofrim. Amsterdam: David de Castro Tartas, [1666]. Two title pages, the first illustrated with fine hand-colored engraving of Biblical scenes; this leaf was detached and mounted on the endpaper, while the second title page appears afterwards. Small parts of illustrations hand-colored on second title page as well as leaf 3. Next to second title page, mounted leaf (attached approx. 100 years after the book was printed), decorated with fine color illustrations, with a printed dedication to ”the comprehensive scholar, the excellent dayan, sweet singer of Israel, of great renown… Yitzchak Castilo, a gift from me… Mordechai Tama”. R. Avraham Yitzchak Castilo (1726-1789), a rabbi and printer of Livorno, preacher and poet. The Chida, asked to give a Shabbat Shuvah sermon in place of R. Avraham Yitzchak Castilo about a year after his passing, praised him profusely on that occasion. R. Mordechai Tama was a publisher in Amsterdam. He translated and annotated responsa of the Rambam from manuscript, published under the name Pe'er HaDor (Amsterdam, 1765). The book was printed at the instruction of the philanthropist Shmuel son of Yitzchak Baruch Rosa (his printed signature at bottom of title page, trimmed in present copy). Sabbatean allusions on divisional title page for haftarot. Includes chart of Torah readings and Spanish charts (folding leaves). Divisional title page in Hebrew and Spanish, Amsterdam, 1667. [3], 3-120, 211-234, 234-249, 230-239, 239-248, 248-271, 205-446, [14] leaves, 9-14 pages, [3] folding chart leaves, [1] leaf. First [10] leaves originally at beginning of book bound after haftarot. 14.5 cm. Gilt edges (partially faded), gauffered. Overall good condition. Stains. Light wear. Marginal tears to several leaves. Old leather binding. Wear and defects to binding. Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans. Bookplate of Arthur E. Franklin (Arthur Ellis Franklin, 1857-1938, Jewish British banker, a central figure in the Jewish community of Great Britain in the interwar period).