"Seder Birkat haMazon" (Grace After Meals), a unique manuscript of a court Jew, Austria/Germany, c. 1740

"Seder Birkat haMazon" (Grace After Meals), a unique manuscript of a court Jew, Austria/Germany, c. 1740
Seder Birkat haMazon u'Birkot haNehenin (Grace After Meals and other blessings), an illustrated manuscript on vellum with colorful illustrations and titles, produced by a talented scribe of a court Jew in Europe, style of the famous scribes Aaron Wolf Herlingen and Meshulam Zimmel. Austria/Germany, c. 1740.
17 folios (12.5 x 7.5 cm). Penciled page numbers added. Written in brown ink on vellum in square Hebrew script with vowels, instructions written in Yiddish and Hebrew in smaller semi-cursive script without vowels; decorated title page, 4 colored illustrations, Styled titles.
This miniature Grace After Meals is a beautiful example of work done by the scribes of court Jews in Central Europe at the start of the 18th century. Court Jews had a high social standing due to their relationship with kings and princes, and began ordering elegant books of blessings, illuminated on vellum. They generally gifted them to their guests at events such as weddings. The custom, which began around 1712 in Vienna, quickly spread to Central and Western Europe in the following centuries. These booklets included blessings and customs for the daily life of the court Jew, such as the blessing recited upon seeing a king that is included in this piece here, along with a blessing for the cure of the sick which is particularly emphasized here. This work was made by an exceptional scribe. The form of the letters and the name of Hashem are unique in the blessings and the style of illustrations imitates copperplate engravings. It is similar to that of scribes Aaron Wolf Herlingen of Vienna and Meshulam Zimmel of Bohemia whose books of from these years are renowned.
Illustrations:
Page 1. Title text set within an architectural framework. 
Page 3: Decorated initial word panel set in an elaborate scrolled cartouche. 
Page 5: Two miniatures accompany the additional texts recited on Chanukah and Purim: the first, a man lighting a menorah; the second, the hanging of Haman's sons; The motifs follow that of the work of Meshulem Zimmel in the Budapest Museum collection (where he only depicted nine hanging sons) and the famed work of of Herlingen in the Valmadonna Trust Library collection. 
Page 27:  Decorated initial word panel with floral wreath surmounted by a winged cherub.
Blessings:
Birkat haMazon. Before and after blessings on wine. Laws of the after-blessing in Yiddish (including the definition of "fruit" and their blessings). HaEitz and HaAdamah blessings. HaEitz after-blessing. Blessing of She'kacha lo b'olamo (with spelling mistake in original, apparently inserted because of the design). Al haMichyah after-blessing. She'asah li nes blessing. Borei nefashot. Borei pri ha-adamah. Blessing recited when attaching a mezuzah. Blessings in large letters: Baruch she-petrani mei'onsho shel zeh. Blessings recited when seeing royalty. Additional blessings. Blessing for the cure of the sick (emphasized). Shema, including viduy and four chapters of Psalms. 
Original white parchment binding with magnificent embossed decorations of foliage, characteristic of the era. Light aging stains. Professionally restored endpapers. The ink has slightly faded in a few places. Fine-very fine condition. 
See Hebrew catalog text for sources.