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 w (f) LU CC F- LU LU F- 158 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