First Hebrew book printed in China!
Part of Tanach. Stone Printing on Rice Paper.
Shanghai, 1851
Hebrew Tanach. Stone Printing on Rice Paper. Shanghai, 1851.
Special edition facsimile of sections from an ancient Jewish Tanach that was in use in the Jewish community in Kaifeng, China, printed in Shanghai, 1851
The Jewish community in Kaifeng, founded back in the 11th century, is the oldest Jewish community in China. According to Chinese sources, its shul was built back in 1163 and functioned uninterrupted until the 1860s.The artistic writing on this manuscript was clearly influenced by the calligraphic Chinese script.
Contains 4 Parshios in 2 books:
Vol. 1: Parshiyos Shmos, Pekudei. These are printed onto thick paper that resembles parchment.
Vol. 2: Parshiyos Kedoshim, Re’eh. These were
printed on thin rice paper, on only one side of the page.
Rice Paper
Rice paper, which is fashioned of rice, served the Chinese for centuries for the purpose of writing calligraphy and artwork.
Stone Press
This sefer was printed using a stone press (lithography), a printing technique that also dates back to ancient China.
Shanghai, 1851. 4 parshiyos in 2 volumes: [45; 33; 18; 53] leaves. Square format. Page size: 19×20 cm. Title page of Vol. 2 is reinforced with paper filler at margins. Vol. 1 has 2 title pages. Each parshah features a partial title page. Faux-leather binding with new box. Good condition.
Provenance: The William Gross Collection , Los Angeles – Tel Aviv.
For more information about the Jews of Kafeng, see Refael Yehuda Tzvi Werblowsky, About the Jews of Kaifeng and their Version of Prayer. 1999, p. 44-60.
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