Magnificent Silver Binding – Germany, Ca. 1714 – From the Collection of Baroness Betty Salomon de Rothschild, with ...

Magnificent Silver Binding – Germany, Ca. 1714 – From the Collection of Baroness Betty Salomon de Rothschild, with the Rothschild Family Coat of Arms and Her Initials

18th-Century German silver binding (Halle an der Saale, Germany, ca.1714) for a siddur, with the coat of arms of the Rothschild family and with the engraved initials of the owner's name: "B de R" – Betty de Rothschild, [ca. 1824].

Silver, cast, repoussé, pierced and cut; parcel-gilt; later engraving (clasp marked with three hallmarks: Halle (Saale) city mark, date-letter G [probably for 1714], partial maker's mark P over [I]F within a leaf).

The front and back panels of the binding, identical in design, are in a formal, baroque floral and strapwork pattern, with a small, tasseled canopy at the top, beneath which is a small conch, and near the bottom a valance; at the center is an oval boss within a floral frame. The boss on the front of the binding bears the initials "B de R" with crown on top, while that on the back panel bears the full coat of arms of the Rothschild family. The spine is decorated en suite. The pierced silver is backed by a gilt sheet, giving the whole a splendidly rich effect. At the top of both the front and back panels is a single loop, intended for a chain to suspend the book (chain missing).

The Rothschild Family Coat of Arms and Baroness Betty (Batiah) Salomon de Rothschild

The well-known coat of arms of the Rothschild family was officially established in 1822, thus it was certainly engraved on this binding after that year. The initials engraved on the front binding – combined with the fact that the siddur bound here was intended for a woman (see below) – lead to the conclusion that the initials refer to Baroness Betty (Batiah) Salomon de Rothschild (1805-1886), daughter of Salomon Mayer Rothschild, founder of the Rothschild bank branch in Vienna, and granddaughter of Mayer Anschel Rothschild, founder of the Rothschild banking family.

In 1824, Betty de Rothschild married in Frankfurt her uncle (her father's brother), James (Jacob) Mayer de Rothschild, founder of the French branch of the banking empire, and traveled with him to Paris. The present binding and siddur were apparently given to her as a wedding gift from her husband or her parents, following the tradition of the "Sivlonot" gift after engagement.

In Paris, Betty de Rothschild integrated into high society: she took private piano lessons with Frédéric Chopin, Heinrich Heine composed a poem about her beauty, Balzac dedicated one of his books to her and the painter Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres painted her portrait; furthermore, she maintained connections with politicians and nobility and conducted philanthropic activity. One of her sons, Edmond de Rothschild (1845-1934), became known as "the Baron Rothschild", "HaNadiv HaYadua"; in Eretz Israel the settlement Bat Shlomo was named after her and also the settlement

of Ekron, founded by the Baron Rothschild in 1883, changed its name to Mazkeret Batya in Betty's honor.

The Siddur

The binding is fitted with a year-round siddur according to the Western Ashkenazic rite, with Yiddish translation. Includes Psalms and supplications, with separate title pages. Amsterdam: Solomon Ben Joseph Proops, 1714.

This Siddur edition was designated for the use of women and was decorated with an engraved title page by Joannes Lamsvelt, depicting biblical heroines: Eve, Rebecca, Leah, Miriam, Deborah, and Hannah. At the bottom appears the Talmudic teaching: "In the merit of the righteous women, our Forefathers were redeemed from Egypt".

Binding: height: 18 cm, width: 12 cm, depth: 6 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Some warping. Original pastedowns, decorated with colorful floral patterns, worn and blemished.

Siddur: [1], 279; 136 leaves. 16.5 cm. Gilt and gauffered edges. Fair condition. Stains, including many dampstains. Several leaves detached and loose. Tears. Trimming, affecting text.

Enclosed is an expert opinion by Rafi Grafman (January 2000).

For silver hallmarks, see: Rosenberg, Der Goldschmiede Merkzeichen (1922-1928), Vol. 2, nos. 2306-2307, 2310-2311, 2325.

Provenance:

1. Ownership inscription on front flyleaf (German and Hebrew): Hirsch son of Abraham Segal (apparently, late 18th or early 19th century).

2. Baroness Betty von Rothschild (1805-1886), presumably given to her as a wedding gift upon her marriage to her uncle, James Mayer de Rothschild in 1824.

3. Alphonse (Mayer) James de Rothschild (1827-1905), son of the above.

4. Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild (1868-1949), son of the above.

5. Baroness Bethsabée (Batsheva) de Rothschild (1914-1999), daughter of the above.

6. Purchased from the estate of the above, Tel Aviv, 1999.

7. Private collection, London.

Certified by the Art Loss Register (ALR); certificate enclosed.