A pair of American silver Torah finials and breastplate, Kurt J. Matzdorf, New Paltz, New York, late 20th century

the Torah shield of openwork butterfly form applied with roundels depicting the Twelve Tribes highlighted in niello

Kurt Matzdorf was born in Stadtoldendorf, Germany in 1922, and moved to England in 1939 on a children’s transport.  He received an art degree in London before relocating to the United States in 1949.  From 1957 to 1986 he taught at the State University of New York College at New Paltz, where he founded the Metals program for gold and silversmithing in 1966.  He died in December 2008 at the age of 86.  Matzdorf is known to have created over 900 designs throughout his six-decade career, including many pieces of modernist Judaica.  A pair of Torah finials and a Torah shield by Matzdorf are in the collection of the Jewish Museum, Berlin.