BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED PINKAS (REGISTER) OF THE HEVRAH TEHILLIM VE-NER TAMID OF ŁÓDŹ, ŁÓDŹ: 1855-1935

110 folios (12 1/4 x 7 7/8 in.; 312 x 200 mm) on paper, with 9 blanks; contemporary foliation in black ink in Hebrew characters in upper-outer corner of recto through f. 46 (= f. 32 in modern foliation) (with gaps); modern foliation in pencil in Arabic numerals in upper-outer corner of recto (cited); written in clear, elegant Ashkenazic square and semi-cursive (Rashi) scripts in black ink; ruled in pencil; no writing on versos (except f. 82v); later strikethroughs and additions mostly in pencil. Enlarged titles, names, and incipits; title featuring floral border, architectural frame, and eagle and griffin motifs; checkered lettering on ff. 2-3; thirty-four membership pages with multicolor (a few are monochrome) decorations featuring illumination in gold leaf, architectural elements, geometric designs, flora (wreaths), and/or fauna (doves, eagles, deer, lions, and even an elephant). All pages mounted on guards; restorations to damaged pages throughout; ink biting; some ink chipping; thumbing, especially to title; scattered staining; the table of contents (ff. 5-6) and gaps in the original foliation (ff. 6-10, 17, 26-28 are not accounted for) suggest that a number of pages are lacking and/or bound out of order; short tears at foot of ff. 24, 47 and in outer edge of f. 58. Modern orange-red morocco binding, slightly worn; title, place, and year lettered in gold in English on upper board and lettered in gold in Hebrew on spine; modern paper flyleaves and pastedowns.