Bidspirit auction | An important, rare and one-of-a-kind

An important, rare and one-of-a-kind Bezalel item - 'Chad Gadya' - a large and impressive applique and embroidery on fabric by Shmuel Ben David of Bezalel, made with embroidery and combinations of velvet fabrics. At the bottom and in the frame appears the name of the poem ”Chad Gadya” with its letters intertwined in the style typical of Bezalel works. The applique has a narrow and elongated shape and presents the plot of the piyut ”Chad Gadya” in an artistic, original and vivid manner: God is represented by the shape of a black sun, below him appears the figure of the Angel of Death, below him the slaughterer prepares to slaughter the ox, below him the ox and its legs are wading in the water, below them the fire, the stick, the dog, the cat and the goat. In the bottom center: the father – a figure with a long beard and sideburns – holds a goat in his hand. Unsigned, Dimensions of the fabric itself: 134X48 cm. Fair-good condition. Several flaws and tears. Presented in a nice frame 157.5X66.5 cm. Source: Artist's estate The text for this item is taken from catalog no. 21 (item no. 230) of the ”Kedem” auction house. - Shmuel Ben-David was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1884. In 1904 he began studying art in Sofia, where he met Boris Schatz. Under his influence, he immigrated to Palestine in 1906, and joined Bezalel as a student in the advanced class and as a teacher in the carpet department. In 1912 he went to Paris, where he studied art. In 1913 he was one of the founders of the ”Rimon” group at Bezalel. During World War I, he remained in Jerusalem, thanks to his Bulgarian citizenship. At that time, he taught art in several schools in the city. When Bezalel reopened in 1916, he returned to teach there until his death in 1927. In 1920 he was One of the founders of the ”Hebrew Artists' Association”. In the years 1921-1922, he was even elected the first chairman of the association and designed its emblem. Ben-David's main work was in the field of applied art, such as enamel works and jewelry. Alongside designing models for the Bezalel Carpet Department, he created fabric applications, drawings and prints, combining the Art Nouveau style with Jewish realism. In addition, he dealt with typography and the design of Hebrew calligraphy.