Israel Diamond Museum opens silver Judaica exhibition
RAMAT GAN, Israel, April 17, 2012 – An exhibition of Israeli silver Judaica entitled “Chains of Silver” was officially opened at the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum (HODM) in Ramat Gan on April 16, 2012.
This exhibition is the first at the museum to deal with the important field of Judaica, which increasingly attracts collectors from all over the world.
The exhibition features more than 70 magnificent silver pieces, created by the Israeli artists Mauriciu Samuel and Itzhak Luvaton.
Some of the items are based on traditional designs and include ritual wine cups, spice boxes, mezuzot and Hanukkah lamps.
Others are intricate silver sculptures of everyday objects – a Harley Davidson motorcycle and sidecar, a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, a bicycle, an airplane, the solar system, a ferris wheel – which have hidden within them ritual objects such as Shabbat candle holders, wine cups, Torah pointer, miniature books of Psalms, or Chanukah spinning tops.
These objects are at once faithful miniature replicas produced in a precious metal and at the same time functional ritual objects for Jewish religious observance.
Mauriciu Samuel is the third generation of a family of silversmiths.
Born in Romania, he trained professionally with his father, Meister Leo Samuel and master artists in Israel.
Itzhak Luvaton was born in Israel. He began as a jewelry maker and designer and completed his training at the Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem.
Both studied etching under Yasha Ben-Zion and have since become artistic partners in the field of Judaica. Their works are found among the most prominent Judaica collections, at museums and galleries, and in synagogues around the world.
The exhibition will be open to the public from April through July.
