Object Description
Antique Jewish Brass Seder Plate by Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design
Jerusalem, early 20th Century
Dimensions: Height 1cm, diameter 32cm
This circular brass plate is a beautiful antique Seder plate for the Jewish holiday of Passover, produced by the important Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem in the early 20th Century. During Passover, the plate is used for six symbolic foods eaten or displayed, each having special significance to the telling the story of Passover, or the exodus from Egypt.
In the centre of the plate, there are five oval shaped hollows, and a circular central section with Hebrew script. In between these are smaller triangle shaped details, which are also inscribed with Hebrew script indicating which food should be placed in each section. The food hollows are surrounded by a decorative border, which features relief scenes of figures telling the story of Passover. These scenes are separated by circular cartouches with Hebrew text descriptions of each of the scenes.
The plate is inscribed several times: ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Bezalel’ in Hebrew script to the top left and right, and a label to the back reading ‘Made in Palestine’.