Mizrach Plaque from A Pueblo Portfolio / Moss, David., 2007
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Scope and Contents
This print is taken from a suite of seven prints. Moss comments: A technique I developed for the pots I painted was to create a style of lettering which employed little geometrical islands filled with pueblo-style designs to form the negative spaces between Hebrew letters. In this print "East meets West" literally as the four Hebrew letters, Mem, Zayin, Resh, and Chet, appear in the white spaces between these islands and spell out the Hebrew word Mizrach which means "east". The Mizrach plaque is a traditional Jewish object that was placed on the eastern wall of the synagogue or home to indicate the direction of prayer towards Jerusalem. These plaques would often take the form of intricate calligraphic works employing micrography or papercuts, and became a virtuoso object of Jewish folk art. Often each of the four letters are associated with the first letters of the phrase: Mitzad Zeh Ruach Chaim, meaning, "From this direction comes the spirit of life." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Dates
- Creation: 2007
Creator
- Moss, David, 1946- (Person)
Extent
0 See container summary (1 print (giclee) (1 page) + pamphlet) ; 38 x 51 cm
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Physical Location
drawer 2nd bedr
Custodial History
The Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry, on loan from Ruth and Marvin A. Sackner and the Sackner Family Partnership.
General
Published: Berkeley, California : Bet Alpha Editions. Signed by: David Moss (l.r.). Nationality of creator: American. General: About CXX total copies. General: Added by: RUTH; updated by: RED.
Genre / Form
Repository Details
Part of the The Ruth and Marvin Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry Repository
125 W. Washington St.
Main Library
Iowa City Iowa 52242 United States
319-335-5921