General

Title

Berkeley (United States), Magnes Collection: acc. no. 67.1.11.3

Manuscript name

Perlhefter’s Poppers ilan

Summary

This 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 Eibeschütz 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 Perlhefter’s 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. Perlhefter’s 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.

Support material

parchment

Identifier

acc. no. 67.1.11.3

Repository

Magnes Collection

Country

United States

Settlement

Berkeley

Research literature

J. H. Chajes, The Kabbalistic Tree (University Park, PA: Penn State University Press, 2022), 137–140.

Creation time

Date

1670s