DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle

New Light on
Da Vinci's and
Rustici's Work

Finding of Hebrew Inscriptions
and Their Content Presented
by Dr. Romanoff

New light, on some sculptures
by Leonardo Da Vinci and Gio-
francesco Rustici based upon the
finding of . Hebrew inscriptions
and their content on the statues
themselves was presented by Dr.

Rosh Hashonah Greetings to All

Hanover Fire
Insurance Co.

BEN PHILLIPS, JR.
State Agent

Paul Romanoff, curator of the
Museum of the Jewish Theologi-
cal Seminary of America, at the
annual conference of the Yiddish
Scientific Institute, held at Hotel
Piccadily, New York City.
These inscriptions, unnoticed
for over 400 years, are found
on the group of three sculptures
representing John the Baptist
flanked by the Pharisee and the
Publican. They stand over the
northern gate of the Baptistery
in Florence, Italy. Copies of the
three sculptures, the only ones
ever made, are at present at the
Museum of Science and Industry
of New York among the objects
of the Da Vinci Exhibition.
In 1508 Leonardo Da Vinci
came to Florence to claim his
share in his father's estate, and
was the guest .of the sculptor
Giovanni Francesco Rusici. At
that time Rustici received the
commission to make the first
group of statues for the Bap-
tistery. Vasari states that Leon-
ardo modeled the actual statues
and that they were cast by

Senator Brown Hopes the Coming Year Will
See Dissipation of Prejudices

second lengthy inscription the
first name is somewhat illegible,
the entire text undoubtedly con-
tains a personal name and per-
haps the name of the artist or
caster. A cursory reading gives
the name "Ilananel", the Italian
equivalent of which would be
"Giovanni", as Hananel is an-
other form of the name Johanan
or John. The other two words of
this inscription read: "son of

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the art pieces in France and

England have been removed for
safekeeping, such a wide investi-
gation is Inc the present impos-
sible. There are, however, nu-
merous casts in the United States
which could be re-examined, and
perhaps additional light shed on
that great period of European
culture.

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Rosh Hashonah Greetings

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GUY S. GREENE, Pres..
R. BLISS WOLFE, Vice-Pres.:

SEASON'S GREETINGS

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SINCERE HOLIDAY GREETINGS

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Season's Greetings!

I am again grateful for the opporunity to extend
to the Jewish citizenry of Michigan and the Nation my
cordial greetings at this festival season of Rosh
Hashonah. It is my fervent hope that the coming Jewish
calendar year will bring with it progress toward the
rapid dissipation of existent prejudice and discrimina-
tion in many parts of the world. The Jews of the uni-
verse have contributed much to civilization and civiliza-
tion will thwart the efforts of any tyrant to destroy this
great people. It is my sincere Nyish that the coming
year will see the present troubled world returning to
the road to happiness and contentment.

SANI-WASH

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What is called liberality is
often merely the vanity of giv-
ing.—La Rochefoucauld.

BY THE HON. PRENTISS M. BROWN
United States Senator from Michigan

Rustici.
Although the inscriptions re-
mained unnoticed because of their
elevated position over the door
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of the Baptistery, they surely
must have been noticed by Da Moreas", thus the entire legend
CAdillas 2130
Vinci and Rustici before and reading: "Giovanni, son of Mo-
after they were cast. The pres- reas". It would be premature,
ence of these inscriptions would warned Dr. Romanoff, until fur-
thus suggest that the statues ther evidence could be gathered
were made or cast by either a after a study of the other sculp-
Jew, baptised Jew or Marrano, tures of Giovanni Rustici, to sug-
declared Dr. Romanoff.
gest that it contains the name of
Five inscriptions are found on this sculptor. The third inscrip-
the statue of John the Baptist; tion consisting of three letters
ROSH
three on the folds of his gar- seems to have suffered during ,
HASHONAH
ment and two on either side of the latest casting of he present
the pedestal. The first Hebrew copies. An examination of the
GREETINGS
inscription gives the name of the original. in Florence will produce
statue. It reads: "John the Bap- the correct reading. As it now
tist, son of Zachariah". In the stands, it could is read as an
abbreviated form of the name
"Rustici", or as a verb, mean-
ing: "Modeled by" or "cast by".
Rosh Hashonah Greetings to All!
The fourth and fifth inscrip-
tions are found on either side
of the pedestal of The Baptist,
and both contain the same pas-
sage taken from Isaiah, chapter
40, verse 3, and repeated in
Matthew chapter 3, verse 3, and
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elsewhere in the New Testament,
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in reference to John the Bap-
tist: "A voice called in the wil-
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the title of the group: "The
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The same inscription appears on
the pedestals of the other two
4232 Vinewood TYler 4-7340 statues, the Phar:see and the
Publican.
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Dr. Romanoff discussed the
content and the implications of
these inscriptions for the under
standing of that period of the
SEASONS GREETINGS TO ALL
Renaissance; and also presented
a new aspect of sonic of the
literary work of Leonardo Da
Vinci.
The finding of these inscrip-
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tions is significant, said Dr. Ro-
manoff, as it will necessitate the
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axamination of other sculptures
by Rustici and other masters of
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the Renaissance.
Due to . the present European

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war and the racial question in
Italy and Germany, and when

"Totalitarians" are Enemies of
Birth Control, Says Mrs. Sanger

NEW YORK (JPS) — Mrs.

Margaret Sanger, noted crusader
for birth control, declared that
the totalitarian countries are be-
hind the movement to stamp out
birth-control activities in the
United States. The recent action
of New York State bodies in ban-
ning such exhibits at fairs is an
°insidious campaign," she assert-
ed. The dictators "know that if
birth control is done away with
here misery and poverty will
abound in this country," she cdri-
tinned, "and only in countries
where such conditions exist can a
dictatorship take hold."

Hitler Converts New York Into

Diamond Center

NEW YORK (JPS) — Hitler

has made New -York the diamond
trading center of the world, says

the New York Sun in a series of
articles dealing with the recent
growth of the industry. Refugees
from Holland and Belgium who
have arrived since the invasion
of Low Countries have brought
with them a great expansion in
the business, the newspaper points
out:
Some 300 to 400 reugee cut-
ters have arrived in the past
year, the articles quote leaders
in the trade.

The power of little things to
give instruction and happiness
should be the first lesson in life,
and it should be inculcated deep-
ly.—Russell H. Conwell.

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Le Shono Tovo 'Fikosevu—A Happy New Year

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TO MY JEWISH FRIENDS:
SINCERE GOOD WISHES
FOR A HAPPY AND
PROSPEROUS
NEW YEAR

P. H. HARRISON

