Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Work by Del Grosso Hauptman
Koch Wesselmann and others
Let Me Call You Sweet Art
Artists from around the country produce unique works to
celebrate the holidays.
Sweet Home Indiana: 1930's Rural
Landscapes of Lawrence McConaha
September 15 - October 28
DAVID KLEIN GALLERY
163 TOWNSEND BIRMINGHAM MI 48009
Telephone 810.433.3700
Fax 810.433.3702
POTTERY 9 PAINTINGS ♦ JEWELRY ♦ FURNITURE
UNIQUE ACCESSORIES FOR THE HOME
SATURDAY: 11 A.M. - 5 P.M.
(810) 851-9949
CAROL WIEUIND & ASSOCIATES
ARTISTIC
CREATIVE
COMFORTABLE
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INTERIOR DESIGN
By Appointment
Phone (810) 661-6321
JUDITH BRODER SELLNER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
A
customary greeting dur- Judaica collection, featuring vi-
ing the High Holy Days is brant colors and whimsical char-
shanah tovah u'mitukah, acters. Her apple and honey set,
a good and sweet year, a flat plate shaped like a half ap-
which we symbolize in home- ple with white center, pits, and
based rituals. Sweetness is a slice green rim, matches an apple-
of apple dipped into a honey con- shaped honey container with a
tainer; continuity or regenera- pixyish child licking his finger on
tion, a round challah; tzedakah, top and another prankish child
charity, is a few coins dropped peering around the side.
into a box; yizkor, candlelight for
Her "nickel a shtickel" pickle
24 sobering hours.
barrel-shaped tzedakah box is
Many decorative objects, de- guarded from two mischievous
signed by growing num-
bers of artists and
artisans, are available in
Jewish bookstores, Ju-
daica boutiques and
shops at Jewish com-
munity centers, syna-
gogues and museums.
Cruising the New York
International Gift Show,
a trade exposition, I was
amazed at the abun-
dance of Judaica.
Boston potter, sculp-
tor and teacher Tina
Robes exhibited a range
of coordinating pieces.
Her rich colors and non-
traditional shapes bring
a contemporary note to
the table. Apple and hon-
ey sets, large and small
square plates pinched in
at the center of each side A round challah shows continuity.
to create a bowl shape,
include a pastel apple and bee on urchins by an apron-clad pickle
white backgrounds, Jerusalem vendor. On her oval challah plate,
domes and a white dove on bright a family welcomes a festival or
blue, and free-flowing abstracts Shabbat, its dog watching
with vibrant blues or rose tones through a window.
predominating. They match ob-
New York distributor Ben Ari
long challah plates (round plates Arts Ltd. showed a large selec-
on special order). Her square tion including a Noah's Ark Hav-
"Creation" plate in brilliant tones dalah set and a floral set with
is a natural for Rosh Hashanah. matching tzedakah box by Mo-
Brooklyn-based Arlene S. An- Ko of Israel. Rosh Hashanah
cona, a teacher and ceramic pieces are a round, white ceram-
artist, showed sculptural post- ic honey container that fits into
modern pieces in geometric the curve of a crescent apple dish,
shapes, decorated in primary col- and a glass honey jar with silver,
ors or black-and-white geomet- apple-shaped cover on a silver
rics. Her apple-and-honey sets, saucer with shanah tovah u'mi-
with confetti-like dots in prima- tukah in Hebrew.
ry colors or black and white, fea-
Moving onto Renee Vichinsky's
ture large, round plates and Hudson-River-Valley pottery stu-
apple-shaped honey containers dio, I saw the full array of coor-
with hand-turned wooden dip- dinated artifacts for holidays year
pers, their tips vinyl-coated in round. Her apple and honey sets
matching colors. The sets coordi- and round challah plates with
nate with challah plates, braided handles and matching
tzedakah boxes, hand-washing ceramic-handled knives are dec-
cup and bowl sets, candlesticks orated with Hebrew blessings.
and Havdalah sets — spice con- The traditionally shaped, cream-
tainers, wine cups and candle color objects come in two designs:
holders. Ms. Ancona also designs with concentric lines and borders
custom dinnerware with or with- in several color combinations, or
out Hebrew letters.
a delicate Jerusalem motif. They
Branah Layah traveled from coordinate with yahrtzeit candle
California to show her ceramic holders, Kiddush cups, candle
sticks, Havdalah sets, etrog con-
tainers, hand-washing sets, small
pitcher and bowl stands (mayim
achronyim) for washing before
blessings and after meals, and
tzedakah boxes.
Arnold Schwartzbard, a ce-
ramic artist from Knoxville,
Tenn., recently added a yahrtzeit
candle holder to his line of ele-
gant Judaica. The new piece en-
velops the candle, much like a
tallit
(
Chava Wolpert Richard's col-
orful anodized aluminum
tzedakah boxes and classic, He- (
brew-etched glass yahrtzeit tum-
blers lend grace and meaning to
the memorial.
The showcases at New York's
Jewish Museum's Cooper Gift
Shops, always a source of beau-
tiful Judaica, are brimming with
New Year pieces. Ceramic apple
and honey sets include one with (
delicately painted fruits, anoth-
er wishing a sweet year in Yid-
dish (signed by Soloff), a ceramic
apple-shaped honey pot with chil-
dren's figures (Carol Brull), and
an apple platter and honey bowl
in three color combinations of
concentric circles (Sara Mann).
In metals, Judith Goldstein's
pewter dish sculpted with two
leaves and the late Ludwig
Wolpert's sterling-silver dish and
tray, both with Hebrew inscrip-
tions, are standouts.
Arel Mishory's hand-painted
glass candle holder on a raised
base with a peacock-fan back and
Linda Gissen's hand-sculpted,
lacquered copper and brass open-
work holder beautify the mem-
ories they honor. To end with the
commandment of tzedakah, the