[Hedouin, Edmond / Boilvin, Emile] Book of Wisdom.

The Song of Songs [The Song of Solomon / Das Hohelied Salomos]. With 26 etchings from designs by Edmond Hedouin and Emile Boilvin. From Designs by BIDA.

Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott Co., 1887. 25 cm x 32 cm. 47 pages of verses juxtaposed to 24 fine etchings, the additional two etchings are the frontispiece and a smaller signet etching to the titlepage. All of the fine etchings mounted to stiff paper. Original hardcover / Decorative quarter morocco with gilt lettering and ornament on spine. Very few of the etchings with foxing. Very good condition of this extremely rare edition (no.129 of 250 copies only) with only very minor signs of external wear / some rubbing to the binding and bumping to the corners. Some corners very slightly fingerstained and with a hint of a faded dampstain. Name of former owner on endpaper: “Martin F. Jackson – 501 – 5 ave. New York City”.

The Song of Songs also known as the Song of Solomon, Canticles, or the Canticle of Canticles, is one of the “scrolls” (megillot) of the Writings (Ketuvim), the last section of the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible. It is also the fifth book of Wisdom in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. In Sephardic Jewish tradition, the Song of Songs is read every Friday night for the divine loving union they see in it; Ashkenazim chant it on the Sabbath during Passover, marking the beginning of the grain harvest and commemorating the Exodus from Egypt.
Scripturally, the Song of Songs is unique in its celebration of sexual love. It gives “the voices of two lovers, praising each other, yearning for each other, proffering invitations to enjoy”. The “daughters of Jerusalem” form a chorus to the lovers, functioning as an audience whose participation in the lovers’ erotic encounters facilitates the participation of the reader.
Jewish tradition reads it as an allegory of the relationship between God and Israel. Christian tradition, in addition to appreciating the literal meaning of a love song between man and woman, has read the poem as an allegory of Christ and his “bride”, the Christian Church.

• Keywords: 19.Jahrhundert · 19th Century · 19th Century – Rare · Catalogue Four – International Art · Catalogue No.10 – International Literature · Catalogue No.7 – Religion · Catalogue Two – Children’s Books · Children’s Books · Children’s Books Rare · Gift Ideas Rare · Hohelied Salomos · Illustrated Books · Illustrated Books Rare · Religion – Rare · Song of Solomon
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 44570AB

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