German parcel-gilt silver book binding, Johan Heinrich Keyl (Keil), Schweinfurt, circa 1720

pierced and chased on both sides with two lions flanking an oval medallion above a flowering urn, surrounded by dense foliage,  the front medallion inscribed in Hebrew Feivel Masbach and the reverse inscribed Merle Kitviah, containing Mahzor, for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Amsterdam, The Brothers Joseph, Jacob and Abraham Proops, 1768, lacking some folios at beginning and end, with maker's mark and town mark on each clasp.

Sold Sotheby's New York, December 2007, lot 52. 

silver good condition, pages possibly missing from front of book
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The book contains the personal book plate of Michael Zagayski.

Schweinfurt is a small town in Bavaria with a Jewish community, not far from the city of Würzburg. The first Jewish presence was as early as 1212, and the peak of the Jewish population reached 490 in 1880. 

The maker of the binding Johan Heinrich Keyl (Keil) was born in 1693, son of Johan Hieronymus Keyl (Keil) from Frankfurt. In 1721 he married Hanna Barbara, widow of Johann Christoph Hennisch, also a goldsmith. He died in 1727 and his widow married in turn another goldsmith, Carl Ludwig Kuhl, in 1728 (see Wolfgang Scheffler, Goldschmiede An Main und Neckar, p.52).