Sotheby’s selling one of ‘most significant’ manuscripts by renowned Jewish medieval artist Joel ben Simeon

Sotheby's will feature a significant mahzor (Jewish holiday prayer book) by renowned medieval Jewish artist Joel ben Simeon in its December "Magnificent Judaica" sale, with an estimated value of $3 million to $5 million. Dating to approximately 1475 Italy, the manuscript is "richly embellished with hundreds of drawings that engage directly with the text of the prayers," according to Sotheby's. This unsigned work is unequivocally attributed to ben Simeon, whose known works are rare in private hands. The auction also includes a 15th-century Italian Roman rite mahzor and a 1300 German Hebrew Bible, each estimated at $2 million to $4 million, and an illuminated manuscript by Rabbi Moses ben Jacob of Coucy, estimated at $1 million to $2 million. Sharon Liberman Mintz, Sotheby’s senior Judaica specialist, noted, "These works trace the evolution of Hebrew manuscript production from medieval Ashkenaz to Renaissance Italy." The sale, which will be on view at the National Library of Israel and Sotheby’s London, is described as the "most valuable sale of its kind in Sotheby’s history."