High-Quality Work of Embroidery from Jerusalem – Leviathan of the End of Time and the Western Wall – Jerusalem, 1928

High-Quality Work of Embroidery from Jerusalem – Leviathan of the End of Time and the Western Wall – Jerusalem, 1928

Work of embroidery depicting the Western Wall encircled by the Leviathan swallowing (or biting) its own tail. Jerusalem, 1928.
Colorful silk-thread embroidery on silk-satin fabric.
A most unusual high-quality work of embroidery from Jerusalem. A depiction of the Western Wall appears in the middle, with a row of trees and a bird behind it, the Dome of the Rock to its left, and the Al-Aksa Mosque to its right. Underneath is the embroidered (Hebrew) label "Western Wall". The entire illustration is encircled and framed by an embroidered depiction (with a corresponding embroidered Hebrew label) of the mythical creature known as the Leviathan, shown here biting or swallowing its own tail. The Leviathan’s scales are embroidered in silk thread, in varying shades of gray and beige that create a sense of movement and animation. The fins and tail have patches of reddish-maroon that further enrich the visual effect. The embroidered Hebrew inscription "Jerusalem" appears at the top of the cloth, flanked by images of small, yellow-breasted songbirds in flight. The Hebrew date "Year 5688" (1927-28) is embroidered on either side near the bottom.
The Leviathan is mentioned several times in the Bible and in Rabbinic literature. Jewish sources describe it as the "king of the fish" and the ruler of the sea. The figure of the Leviathan is a Jewish symbol for the end of the days, following the teaching of the Talmud that in the time to come, the righteous will partake in a feast and dine on the flesh of the Leviathan, and G-d 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".
Historically, this messianic tradition has never been particularly well-established as a theme in Jewish art, but graphic depictions of it do occasionally appear in illustrated manuscripts. In addition, it is sometimes featured on items of Judaica, such as a Sabbath tablecloth embroidered in Jerusalem in 1875-76 by Hannah Rivkah Hermann; in this case, it is used to frame a depiction of Hebron’s Cave of the Patriarchs (see reference below).
It is worth noting that the motif of a snake or dragon eating its own tail is actually quite ancient and cross-cultural; it has been referred to as "Ouroboros", meaning, in Greek, "tail-devouring".

46X52.5 cm. Overall good condition. Minor damage to embroidery and fabric.

Reference and exhibitions:
1. Arts and Crafts in the Land of Israel in the Nineteenth Century, edited by Yona Fischer. Jerusalem, the Israel Museum, 1979, (Hebrew), pp. 69-71, item no. 36.
2. Darkei Eretz. Ashdod, Monart Museum, 2006.
3. Jodendom: een boek vol verhalen, by Edward van Voolen. Amsterdam, Museumshop De Nieuwe Kerk, 2011, item no. 54.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 005.013.002.
This work is documented on the Center for Jewish Art (CJA) website, item no. 39233. A photograph of this item has also appeared in the Encyclopedia of Jewish Folklore and Traditions, edited by Rafael Patai and Haya Bar-Itzhak. New York, Armonk, 2013, p.460.