Seder Tefillot mi-Kol ha-Shanah ke-Minhag ha-Ashkenazim (Order of Prayers for the Entire Year according to the Ashkenazic Rite), Mantua: Meir ben Ephraim of Padua and Jacob ben Naphtali ha-Kohen, 1558

351 of 352 folios (5 1/2 x 3 1/2 in.; 139 x 90 mm) on paper (f. 352 replaced in facsimile); single-column text throughout (except for songs and some liturgical poems); headers throughout; catchwords on versos of final folios of quires only; colophon on f. 352v. Woodcut architectural title border and head- and tail-pieces; woodcut initial word panels with floral motifs on ff. 2r, 89v, 335v and woodcut initial letters on f. 257r; enlarged incipits; he of E-lohim replaced consistently with dalet. Scattered staining, more concentrated toward front; outer edges of some pages worn; outer corners at foot periodically repaired toward back; title repaired in margins and lower-outer corner replaced in facsimile; repairs in outer margins of ff. 2-3, 348; ff. 1-8, 16, 205-206, 237-237, 276-277, 283-286, [344]-347, 360-351 reinforced along gutter; slight damage in gutter at foot of ff. 230-240; small tear in outer margin of f. 237; dampstaining in lower margins of ff. 332-351; small tear in center of page on f. 343 affecting a few letters; small hole in lower margin of f. [344]. Modern vellum over board, lightly worn; gilt and goffered paper edges; modern paper flyleaves and pastedowns.

Jacob ben Naphtali ha-Kohen Ashkenazi of Gazzolo was the manager of Tobias Foa’s press in Sabbioneta until 1556. In that year, he came to Mantua to supervise the production of Hebrew books at the printing house of Venturino Ruffinello. This prayer book is the product of a partnership between Ashkenazi and his colleague Meir ben Ephraim (Sofer) of Padua, who edited and arranged the text. It was one of several editions of liturgical works printed in Mantua within a few short years. The recto of the first folio of each quire in this edition is marked “Ashkenazi,” presumably so that those assembling the gatherings would not accidentally mix and match the sheets with those of other rites. The Ashkenazic identity of this siddur is further reinforced by the use of Yiddish as the language of the instructions.

Literature

Vinograd, Mantua 55