Papercut Mizrah by Mordechai Reicher, Brooklyn:1922

Joseph and Yehudit Shadur, Traditional Jewish Papercuts: An Inner World of Art and Symbol, 2002.

In this extraordinary papercut, Mordechai Reicher incorporates traditional Jewish symbols such as the seven-branched menorah and the Ten Commandments to create a dramatically patterned Mizrah. Hung on the Eastern wall to indicate the direction of prayer, these plaques are found in Jewish homes and synagogues. This work incorporates highly stylized symbolic animals and birds such as lions, eagles, and rams. The rich colors and bold graphic designs contribute to the energy of the composition.

Mordechai Reicher was born in the Ukraine in 1865 where he had a traditional Jewish upbringing before immigrating to the United States in 1910.  Arriving in America, he worked as a peddler until 1918 when in the midst of the influenza epidemic of 1918, he contracted a severe illness which resulted in the loss of one of his legs. No longer able to work, Reicher concentrated on teaching the Talmud and mastering the art of paper-cutting. In his pairings of text and image, Reicher demonstrates his skill in his chosen art form as well as his erudition in the themes and texts of Jewish tradition. His highly sophisticated, papercut compositions are prized for their technical mastery.

In this composition, an elaborately framed S-shaped meander encloses red florets, and a guillouche surrounded by two continuous bands of Hebrew inscriptions from Ethics of the Fathers (1:12, 2:1, and 3:1) and Psalm 128:2, frame the central part. Superimposed on the double-headed eagles' wings are the flags of Zion and the United States, and the passage "How I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to me" (Ex. 19:4). (Here Reicher may be referring to his own emigration from Europe.)

Above the dominating image of the menorah is stated, "The seven lamps shall give light at the front of the lampstand" (Num. 8:2), while the lions roar "with trumpets and the blast of the horns" (Ps. 98:6). The pair of vases preserve "clear oil of beaten olives for lighting" (Ex. 27:20), and are joined by the chronogram "The light of the righteous will come to a blessing," (=1922.)  The cartouche at the base of the frame bears the artist's signature, "This was made by Mordechai son of R[abbi] Yehiel Michel Reicher here in Brooklyn."

Exhibited:
The Jewish Museum, New York:1984
Previously exhibited at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Published:
The Jewish Heritage in American Folk Art, New York:1984