Bidspirit auction | One of the Most Impressive

One of the Most Impressive and Important Haggadahs in the History of Hebrew Printing! Illustrated Haggadah shel Pesach - Trieste, 1864 - ”Only one Haggadah of the 19th century may be regarded as ambitious and worthy of creating a new tradition - this is the Haggadah that appeared in Trieste in 1864” Illustrated Haggadah shel Pesach with an Italian translation: L’Haggada illustrata. Tradotta da A. V Morpurgo. Italian and Hebrew on facing pages, by Rabbi Avraham Chai Morpurgo. Trieste, 1864.  This is a magnificent and renowned edition of the Haggadah, considered one of the most significant and impressive printed during the 19th century. The Haggadah is adorned with 58 spectacular copperplate engravings by the artist C. Kirchmayr, whose signature appears at the bottom of the title page and as initials alongside the illustrations. Most pages feature detailed illustrations accompanied by brief captions explaining the depicted scenes. The publisher and translator, Rabbi Avraham Chai Morpurgo, notes in the introduction that the Haggadah was commissioned by Mr. Colombo Cohen. For the precise Italian translation, Morpurgo consulted ancient Machzorim and Haggadot in German, Italian, and Spanish. The translation is printed in a column facing the Hebrew text. Upon its publication, the Haggadah gained recognition as one of the most luxurious printed editions, partly due to the impressive combination of meticulous typography and many quality illustrations - surpassing most Haggadot that preceded it. Its illustrations influenced numerous subsequent editions and served as a source of inspiration for dozens of adaptations and reproductions. Printed at the end of the Haggadah is sheet music for the Seder Piyyutim: Adir Huh, Adir Bimlucha, and Echad Mi Yodea, under the heading: ”פזמוני ליל פסח על נגינות כפי מה שנהגו אבותינו מימים קדמונים” [Seder Pesach hymns set to melodies according to the ancient customs of our forefathers]. The art historian Bezalel Roth wrote of this edition in his Hebrew article ”The Printed Illustrated Haggadah” (Areshet III, 1961): ”Only one Haggadah of the 19th century may be regarded as ambitious and worthy of creating a new tradition - this is the Haggadah that appeared in Trieste in 1864”. According to Roth, alongside traditional scenes, it included unusual subjects such as the conquest of Jericho, the defeat of Sennacherib, and Belshazzar’s Feast. Yaari 899; Otzra Hahaggadot 1217.  [4], 64, [2] pp. Approx. 33 cm. Quality paper.  Good condition. Some aging stains. Notations and scribbles. Minor tears. Taping. Ancient binding, partly detached in good condition, with blemishes to spine.