Mizrach – Elaborate Victorian Papercut, By Shalom son of Chaim Halevi Horowitz – England, 1891 – Dedication and ...

Mizrach – Elaborate Victorian Papercut, By Shalom son of Chaim Halevi Horowitz – England, 1891 – Dedication and Prayer for the Queen of England and Crown Prince Edward VII

Mizrach plaque – papercut by Shalom son of Chaim Halevi Horowitz. England, [1890/1891]. Hebrew and English.
Papercut, ink and pencil.
A Mizrach plaque from the late Victorian period: an elaborate papercut – among the largest and most detailed papercuts documented – resembling a lace fabric full of rich decorations, dense arabesques, intertwining vegetal patterns, birds, fruits, zodiac symbols, lions, horses and Stars of David – arranged in a complex architectural structure, typical of Jewish papercuts from the Galicia region, which might attest to the origins of its maker.
At the top of the plaque, under the inscription "Keter Malchut", appears the United Kingdom coat of arms: a shield decorated with a crown, and a pair of animals supporting it – a lion, representing England, and a unicorn, representing Scotland. At the two upper corners and under the royal coat of arms appear text frames with a dedication and prayer for Queen Victoria (1819-1901), Crown Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), and the royal family, handwritten (English).
Next to the United Kingdom coat of arms appear the saying: "Pray for the welfare of the state, for if not for fear of it, man would swallow his fellow alive" (Avot 3:2). Below it appears a royal variation on another saying characteristic of Mizrach posters: "Know before Whom you are standing: before the King of Kings of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He" (Avot 3:1).
At the center of the plaque appears the fixed formula for Mizrach posters – "From this side, a spirit of life and peace" (Hebrew). The addition of the word "peace" is apparently an allusion to the name of the artist, Shalom. The frame is supported by two lions – another common motif in this kind of plaques, and an allusion to the United Kingdom coat of arms.
Under the inscription appears a large seven-branched menorah, with a base made in an endless knot pattern and branches inscribed in delicate micrography with the verses of Psalm 67 ("Lamnatzeach"). The menorah is placed under a bow supported by pillars drawn as dense arabesques, with the names of the twelve constellations and their symbols cut out and decorated in pencil. Between the pillars appear text frames with the verse "How goodly are your tents, O Jacob", and the aphorism "Man worries about the loss of his money but does not worry about the loss of his days; his money does not help him and his days do not return". At the bottom appears a text frame with a dedicatory inscription: "Israel, Your holy people in the world, called a 'wall', hope for Your salvation, Lord. Blessed be their souls; may the strong one answer them, fulfill their requests. Please hurry from Zion, O sought-after one". The highlighted acrostic letters spell out the name Yaakov Nechemiah son of Chaim. Below the inscription appears the name "Mrs. Finkelsten". It may be that the papercut had been ordered by Mrs. Finkelsten and dedicated to Yaakov Nechemiah ben Chaim.
At the bottom margin there is an additional text frame with the artist's signature: "The work of my hand, Shalom ben Chaim HaLevi Horowitz, 1891".
The plaque is placed in a wooden frame decorated with patterns matching the papercut – apparently of the same period.

Papercut: Approx. 65X68.5 cm. Frame: 90x91.5 cm. Good condition. Light stains and creases. Light wear, damages and fractures in the frame. Background paper replaced.

Reference and exhibitions:
1. Written in the Stars. Jerusalem, the Israel Museum, 2001 (Hebrew).
2. Jewish tradition in papercuts, by Naomi Shapira. Kfar HaOranim, Matan Arts 2018, p. 36 (Hebrew).
3. Traditional Jewish Papercuts, by Joseph and Yehudit Shadur. London and Hanover, University Press of New England, 2002, p. 80.
4. Only on Paper, Six Centuries of Judaica from the Gross Family Collection. Chicago, Columbia College, 2005.
5. Jodendom: een boek vol verhalen, by Edward van Voolen. Amsterdam, Museumshop De Nieuwe Kerk, 2011, no. 62.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 036.011.016.
This Mizrach plaque is documented on the Center for Jewish Art (CJA) website, item no. 48935.