A Papercut Sukkah Decoration, Central Europe, late 18th-early 19th century

Papercuts were an especially popular form of folk art among the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. To ornament the walls of homes and synagogues, Jewish artists created special papercuts throughout the year. The present, elaborately decorated example was fashioned specifically for the holiday of Sukkot and intended to adorn the sukkah (booth) from which the festival takes its name.

These intricate artworks, created by Jewish artisans, often depicted religious and cultural themes. In the present example, the skilled artist drew upon the imagery of the animal world to present a vision of the messianic era. The central design is a highly stylized menorah symbolizing past worship in the Temple and the potential for future worship in the messianic era with a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. Surrounding the menorah is a representation of the mythical creature known as the Leviathan, shown here biting its own tail. The figure of the Leviathan is a Jewish symbol for the end of the days. The Talmud relates that in the messianic era, the righteous will partake in a feast and dine on the flesh of the Leviathan, and God will erect a sukkah made of the Leviathan's skin (Bava batra 75a). This is the source of the prayer said when leaving the sukkah for the last time each year: “…just as I have fulfilled [the commandment] and dwelled in this sukkah, so may I merit next year to dwell in the sukkah made of the skin of the Leviathan.” Encircling the Leviathan are the twelve signs of the zodiac representing the cosmos, as well as pairs of animals (some mythical, like the griffins on either side of the circle).

This masterpiece of Jewish art was considered so important that the world’s preeminent scholars of Judaica papercuts chose to feature it on the cover of the first edition of the book that they published on the subject: Yehudit and Joseph Shadur, Jewish Papercuts: A History and a Guide (Berkeley and Jerusalem, 1994) (see also the second edition, Traditional Jewish Papercuts: An Inner World of Art and Symbol [Hanover; London: University Press of New England, 2002], 159).

Jewish papercuts served as a way to preserve and celebrate Jewish traditions, while also showcasing the artistic skills of the community. Today, these beautiful creations continue to be admired for their craftsmanship and the stories they tell.

Physical Description

Ink and gouache on paper (12 3/8 x 15 7/8 in.; 312 x 403 mm). Two small holes for hanging in upper edges. Scattered spotting; small losses in upper-lefthand corner; a few other places where papercut design has been slightly damaged; slight crease along fold line. Glazed and framed; not examined outside of the frame.