A Yossi Swed Partial Gilt Silver Pargod Screen, Lamp Charity Box and Group of Miniature Objects

Swed Masters Workshop, Jerusalem, Late 1990s

Part of the Marrano Secret Synagogue Furniture Collection; the miniature objects comprising of three books, a centerpiece fruit bowl, and a vase, tallest height 1 1/8 inches.
Each piece of furniture marked (S over D monogram), ISRAEL, 925 and numbered 23/65.
44 ozt. 15 dwt. gross.
Lamp Charity Box, height 7 inches; Pargod Screen, height 5 7/8 x overall width 15 inches.

(7 pieces total).

Provenance:

Acquired by the consignor from Yossi Swed Masters Workshop, Jerusalem, Israel, circa 1997.

About the artist:

Yossi Swed is the third generation of a Jerusalem family of craftsmen. The Swed Masters Workshop specializes in precious Judaic works of art built according to Swed’s precise engineering standards, for example, the tiny, beautifully designed mechanisms of the present lot. Production for each item is strictly limited to 65 examples which are offered to a select group of patrons and available only by commission. The Pargod Screen can only be acquired as a special gift from Swed Masters Workshop, and is presented to clients who purchase the complete collection of Marrano Secret Synagogue Furniture.

When creating the Marrano Secret Synagogue Collection, Swed was inspired by the painful history of the Spanish Inquisition. During this time, the Jews of Spain were forced to convert or become “secret” Jews who went underground and practiced their religion in secret. At risk of death, those who chose to continue practicing their religion were often forced to disguise their ritual objects as everyday utensils. These Jews were referred to by the derogatory term “Marranos.” According to Swed’s workshop, “the history of the Marranos gave us the freedom to design hidden Judaica pieces in any shape we wished.”

As we see in the present lot, hidden in the intricate design of each piece of Secret Marrano Furniture is a special Jewish ritual object. Examples from this collection are held by distinguished Jewish families and institutions including the Goodman Family Judaic and Archival Museum at Temple Israel, West Bloomfield, Michigan, and the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A Yossi Swed Partial Gilt Silver Pargod Screen, Lamp Charity Box and Group of Miniature Objects

**A Yossi Swed Partial Gilt Silver Pargod Screen, Lamp Charity Box and Group of Miniature Objects**