Sukkah Plaque, Italy [early 19th century]

28 x 20 1/2 in.; 715 x 520 mm. Ink and gouache on paper; dampstaining; stained and spotted; losses and tears repaired; laid to size. Hinged; matted.

The Jews of Italy began to produce decorative plaques to adorn the sukkah sometime during the eighteenth century. These would typically include one or more of several biblical verses that referred to the festival of Sukkot.  The verse shown here may be translated as: "you shall dwell in sukkot for seven days; every Israelite shall dwell in sukkot" (Lev. 23:42). In keeping with the liturgical idiom which describes the holiday as zeman simhateinu (season of our joy), many of these plaques reflected contemporary themes commonly associated with festivity and even revelry. A carnival motif is suggested by the bright hues of this gaily colored plaque as well as by the smile frozen on the face of the mask beneath the text.