22 Binding board
Dutch, 18th century
silver, embossed
The bound book: Psalms, with the commentaries of David Kimhi. Published in Amsterdam, 1778-1837. The property of Rabbi M Sapira M
Donation of Baron Adolf Kohner, 1910
With the spread of printing, Hebrew language books became widely available. As prayer books and psalm books were in daily use, in order to protect, appreciate and decorate them, they were often bound in artistic binding boards. Dávid Kimhi (1160–1235), Rabbi in Provence, wrote commentaries on the Book of Psalms that were published in several editions. This particular embellished silver binding board was made for a copy printed in Amsterdam in 1778. The binding board fits well the content of the book, as it portrays the image of King David, the author of the Psalms, playing his harp among cherubim. The decorative object is a gift of Adolf Kohner (1866–1937) to the Jewish Museum. Kohner was considered “the most educated banker” of, his day, who earned a doctorate degree and the title of a Baron. He was a recognized art collector, the president of the National Fine Arts Association, and one of the founders of the Artist Colony in Szolnok in 1902. He took an active part in the foundation of the Jewish Museum, he provided funds to the Museum and enriched its collection with his gifts.