Beschreibung:

TAUSSIG NEU-GRESCHEL (Tang), Naftali ben Abraham, of Prague and London (d. 1699). Ets Avot (commentary on Pirkei Avot ). MANUSCRIPT ON PAPER [Prague or London, 1716] 4 o (224 x 170 mm). [2] + 132 + [1] leaves, with original Hebrew foliation. Brown ink. The elaborate commentary surrounds the text of Pirkei Avot , which is written in a square Ashkenazic hand, the commentary in an Ashkenazic semi-cursive hand. With elegant illustrated title-page, executed in the brown text ink, the text within a crowned garland, topped by two hovering angels, above a depiction of Moses receiving the tablets of the Law and the children of Israel watching behind fences, below a coat of arms with the depiction of a sheep, held by two rampant lions, flanked by two deer, in a landscape, everything within a stylized floral border. (Browning, some minor staining, a few corners torn, without loss of text, otherwise excellent condition.) Modern blind and gold-tooled brown morocco, two modern paper flyleaves at back and front. CONTENTS: Fols. [1]rv: blank; [2]r: illustrated title-page; [2]v: blank; 1r-128r: text; 128v: blank; 129r-132v: index; [133]rv: blank. The wording of the title-page excludes the possibility suggested by Neubauer that the manuscript is an autograph. The author was a descendant of Judah Loew ben Bezalel of Prague (Maharal). The text has never been published. PROVENANCE: On fol. 128r a note, in a different hand, expresses gratitude to the Lord for restoring [the author's?] eyesight in Adar 5527 (1767). REFERENCES: Neubauer, no. 9, p. 3; Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts, Jerusalem, F 4678.