The Song of Solomon [The Song of Songs].

A magnificent publication of The Song of Songs, first published in Berlin in 1923, illustrated by Ze'ev Raban and personally dedicated to Prof. Boris Schatz, the founder and then manager of the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. Following a personal invitation from Schatz Raban moved to Palestine in 1912 and joined the faculty of Bezalel, where he taught until 1929.

Ze'ev Raban, born Wolf Rawicki (1890-1970) was a leading painter, decorative artist and industrial designer of the Bezalel School, and considered to be one of the founders of the Israeli art world. He was born in Lodz, Ploland, studied there, then in Munich, Paris and Brussels. His illustrations show an eclectic mix of European and Oriental styles, as can be seen in his biblical works, which include the Book of Ruth, the Book of Job, the Book of Esther, the Passover Haggadah and the work offered here.

Tall 4to (34 x 24.5 cm); 26 colour-illustration plates protected by tissue guards, publisher's embossed cloth boards, illuminated in gilt and silver, illuminated in gilt and silver ornamental endpapers, slightly chipped, bottom corner of a few leaves chipped, small black ink gift inscription to front endleaf dated '34'; text in English and Hebrew; [32] ll pp.