AN EASTERN EUROPEAN CORONET FOR A STERNTIKHL, 19TH CENTURY |

natural pearls, gold and silk thread embroidered on velvet, in leather case

Michael and Judy Steinhardt Collection, sold, Sotheby’s New York, 29 April, 2013, lot 225

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, A World Apart Next Door: Glimpses into the Life of Hassidic Jews, June-December 2012, illustrated pp. 142-143

Esther Juhasz, ed., The Jewish Wardrobe: From the Collection of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2012, similar examples illustrated pp. 116-117 and 324

a few pearls missing from top; otherwise good
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 sterntikhl (Yiddish for "forehead kerchief") is a distinctive and lavish head covering worn on the Sabbath and festivals by married women in Eastern Europe during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Decorated with pearls and precious stones, it was a reflection of a family's fortune. According to early accounts, affluent women would on occasion donate a precious stone from their sterntikhls to help a poor bride adorn her own. Historically, this sumptuous head covering was worn by Hasidic and non-Hasidic women, but since the twentieth century, only a small number of Hasidic women continue this custom. Very few of the early examples of this distinctive head covering remain extant.