Berkeley, Magnes Collection, acc. no. 67.1.11.3Perlhefter’s Poppers

Berkeley, Magnes Collection, acc. no. 67.1.11.3Perlhefter’s Poppers

Shelfmark:
acc. no. 67.1.11.3, Recto
Magnes Collection, Berkeley, United States
Date of Creation:
1670s
Dimensions:
254 × 22.23 cm
Material:
parchment
Form:
rotulus
About the MS:
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.
Type:
Poppers , Lurianic
Research Literature:
  • J. H. Chajes, The Kabbalistic Tree (University Park, PA: Penn State University Press, 2022), 137–140.