Graven Images [Arnold Schwartzman]

[Grave Goods] [Judaica] [Photography]

Graven Images Graphic Motifs of the Jewish Gravestone

Arnold Schwartzman

Harry N. Abrams Inc, New York. 1993. First Edition. Very slight ding to the dust jacket on the spine, pristine otherwise. 

From the publisher:

""Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth". So decrees the second commandment. Could anything be clearer? And yet, through the centuries, Jews have decorated their tombstones with graven images. This rich tradition of liberally interpreting the biblical admonition has provided centuries' worth of graphic symbols and motifs that illuminate Jewish history and lore. In Graven Images, a surprisingly spirited view of a usually somber subject, author and photographer Arnold Schwartzman has assembled a lavish array of color photographs of Jewish tombstone"

A quite beautiful and poignant exploration of Jewish grave decorations. Marvelous photography of intricate stonework abounds.