Bidspirit auction | Illuminated Manuscript on Paper –

Illuminated Manuscript on Paper – Order of Prayers and Psalms for the Chatzot Fellowship. Verona, Italy, 1745 - “Order of prayers and psalms recited each day before the Ma’amadot.” A handsome and impressive manuscript, written for the Chatzot Fellowship in the city of Verona, Italy, in 1745, preserving a living spiritual world of worshippers who established regular סדרי תפילה, supplications, and sacred hymns in the service of God. Before us is a unique liturgical collection containing prayers, piyyutim, lamentations, and passages from Psalms, recited within the framework of the Chatzot Fellowship—among the well-known devotional societies in Jewish communities dedicated to Tikkun Chatzot, prayer, and pleas for mercy. Its outstanding feature is a beautifully illustrated title page, executed by a skilled hand in black ink, in a refined classical Italian style. The title page is adorned with an elegant decorative border and striking ornamental elements, and at its center appears a family crest depicting a lion leaning upon a branch—perhaps alluding to a distinguished family or benefactor under whose patronage the manuscript was prepared. On page 21 appears a particularly interesting historical note describing a miracle that occurred in the community in the month of Shevat, 1745, following which the members of the Chatzot Fellowship resolved to recite a song of thanksgiving every ערב ראש חודש אדר. This addition grants the manuscript a rare communal and documentary dimension. 38 pages written in a fine, clear, and orderly Italian scribal hand. 14.5 × 20.5 cm. Condition: Very good. Age stains. Marbled paper binding.