Close
Close

Accessibility

Interface

Adjust the interface to make it easier to use for different conditions.
This renders the document in high contrast mode.
This renders the document as white on black
This can help those with trouble processing rapid screen movements.
This loads a font easier to read for people with dyslexia.

The Birds’ Head Haggadah

The Birds’ Head Haggadah

The Birds’ Head Haggadah

Handwritten on parchment; dark brown ink and tempera; square Ashkenazic script

H: 27; W: 18.2 cm

Accession number:

B46.04.0912

180/057

Jewish Art and Life

The name of this early Passover Haggadah derives from its depiction of human figures with pronounced birds’ heads. The enigmatic practice of drawing bird and animal heads in place of human faces is found in other Ashkenazi manuscripts of the 13th and 14th centuries and has been interpreted in various ways.
This is the first illustrated Haggadah known to be produced as an entity separate from the prayer book. It contains depictions with ritual and textual themes: the preparation of matzah and the various blessings over wine and food recited during the Seder; biblical scenes like the gathering of the manna or the giving of the Torah; and messianic images such as the rebuilt Jerusalem.

From the Israel Museum publications:

The Jewish World 365 Days, from the Collections of The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, USA, 2004, English

The Israel Museum, Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2005

Zalmona, Yigal, ed., The Israel Museum at 40: Masterworks of Beauty and Sanctity, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2005

Beauty and Sanctity: the Israel Museum at 40. A Series of Exhibitions Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Zalmona, Yigal, 2006

Exhibitions:

Mordechai Narkiss: Memorial Exhibition, The Bezalel National Museum, Jerusalem, 02/05/1957 - 31/05/1957
Beauty and the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 09/05/2005 - 15/03/2006