Beschreibung:

Thirteen European Tefillin Bags, circa late 18th - early 19th century printed cotton and silk. smallest 6 by 4 1/2 in.; largest 9 1/2 by 7 1/2 in. 15.2 by 11.43 cm; 24.1 by 19 cm This lot, comprising thirteen Tefillin bags, is a rare example of a surviving group of textiles that were used daily. These bags were created to hold the Tefillin, which are used in daily morning prayer services, and acquired holiness by association. Therefore, when they were no longer usable, they were placed in a geniza (a storage space for holy objects). Several of the bags can be dated through the colorful floral patterns on the printed cotton fabric. The two oldest bags date from 1790-1810, one from 1815-1820, another from 1820-1825 and two from 1825-1835. RELATED LITERATURE: Ruth Eis, Ornamented Bags for Tallit and Tefillin of the Judah L Magnes Museum, 1979, other examples