$5m Joel ben Simeon Mahzor Leads Major Judaica Auction

An illustrated mahzor created in Italy circa 1475 by Joel ben Simeon and estimated at $3m–$5m is among the highlights of the upcoming Magnificent Judaica sale at Sotheby's.

The December 17 auction will feature a group of medieval and Renaissance Hebrew manuscripts from Jewish communities across Europe over the course of several centuries, and one of the smallest known Torah scrolls.

Joel ben Simeon is one of the few named Jewish artists of the medieval period, and the pages of his illustrated mahzor are richly embellished with hundreds of finely executed drawings throughout the text depicting ritual observances, biblical figures, animals, and fantastical hybrid creatures that engage directly with the prayers they accompany, including images of a worshipper sounding the shofar beside the relevant liturgical text, representations of Moses receiving the Tablets of the Law, and one of the earliest visual records of a Hanukkah menorah.

Joel ben Simeon's oeuvre comprises only 12 signed works and a limited number of additional manuscripts attributed to his hand. This mahzor is one of only four examples remaining in private hands.

The sale also features:

• a circa 1500 Italian Roman Rite Mahzor (estimate: $2m–$4m)
• a monumental Hebrew Bible produced in Germany circa 1300 (estimate: $2m–$4m)
• an illuminated manuscript of Moses of Coucy's Sefer Mitzvot Gadol (estimate: $1m–$2m)
• the Ehrenthal Family miniature Torah scroll and Torah ark, created in Galicia in the early 19th century (estimate: $450,000–$650,000); the scroll, with parchment measuring 2⅜ inches high, may be the smallest recorded example of its kind