Author: Wilberg, Lillie
Title: Das Buch Esther
Description: S. l. By the author, 1900. Caligraphic manuscript, n. d. (ca 1900); 9 x 6 1/2; pp. [13], 10-52, [10]; vellum over boards, decorated in red, blue, and black; illustrated with historiated initials and elaborate borders; previous owner's small ink stamp to front board verso and several additional embossed ones, of two different designs, to title page and rfep - psychiatrist and bibliophile Arthur Teller; a tiny spot to front board and minor age-toning to vellum; a slight abrasion to ffep, possibly from an erasure of a signature; title page corners clipped, as issued (?); occasional ink offsetting to facing pages; in very good condition. A beautiful and unique copy, it was a German translation of the Book of Esther - one of the five Scrolls in the Hebrew Bible - by an elusive book artist. Entirely handwritten and hand-illustrated, with simple, yet marvelous designs, it reminded one of a medieval illuminated manuscript. In an ironic twist, the author - possibly Jewish of German descent in North Dakota (from scant genealogical records) - felt the need to subtitle her work "Deutsch von B Martin Luther" (in the German of B Martin Luther). The Book of Esther was the one Martin Luther expressed great contempt for, calling it “less worthy of being held canonical” and allegedly stating "The book of Esther I toss into the Elbe. I am such an enemy to the book of Esther that I wish it did not exist, for it Judaizes too much and has in it a great deal of heathenish naughtiness ." . Very good .

Keywords: Judaism, Manuscript, Caligraphic


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