Berkeley (United States), Magnes Collection: acc. no. 67.1.11.3
About the Ilan
TextGrid URI of the Editiontextgrid:4b1g6
Surfaces of the Ilan
Recto
About the Manuscript
Identifiers and Titles
IdentifierBerkeley (United States), Magnes Collection: acc. no. 67.1.11.3
Primary Manuscript TitlesPerlhefterโs Poppers ilan
Alternative Manuscript TitlesBerkeley, Magnes Collection, acc. no. 67.1.11.3
Manuscript History
Origin
Date Information1670s
Creation PlacesPrague (Czechia)
Physical Description
MaterialParchment ๐Translucent or opaque material made from calf, sheep, or goat skin which has been limed, dehaired, scraped, and dried under tension to produce a thin, strong material for writing, bookbinding, or other uses. For finer quality calf parchment, use "vellum." The terms parchment and vellum sometimes have been and still are both confused and used interchangeably. ๐๏ธSearch for Ilanot with this Material
FormRotulus ๐A roll of parchment or paper unrolled vertically for reading. ๐๏ธSearch for Ilanot with this Form
Dimensions Description254 ร 22.23
Content Description
SummaryThis seventeenth-century parchment is one of only two known extant copies of the pure Poppers (P) module in its original form. Signed by the scribe Behr Eibeschรผtz Perlhefter, it was likely produced in the mid-1670s in Altdorf, during the period when Perlhefter was tutoring the Lutheran Hebraist Johann Christoph Wagenseil. The manuscript reveals Perlhefterโs exceptional artistic prowess, previously unknown to scholars. The ilan is characterized by its sophisticated visual execution, utilizing cross-hatching to achieve shadings that make the diagrammatic figures appear as if in relief. Perlhefterโs refined hand manages to tame the overwhelming detail of the Poppers enrobings through elongated, elegantly rounded lines and precise lettering. The background is rarely left blank, as Perlhefter filled the spaces with an array of decorative elements such as geometric patterns and floral doodles. While the manuscript contains the distinctive terminology and schematic faces of the Poppers tradition, its artistic finish sets it apart from the more sober models typical of this family.
Further Information
Research LiteratureJ. H. Chajes, The Kabbalistic Tree (University Park, PA: Penn State University Press, 2022), 137โ140.
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