The lace bodice is embellished with elements representing the sefirot— the kabbalistic Tree of Life. Seven bands of beadwork represent the marriage blessings, days of the week, and biblical species. The beads on the bottom recall the bells attached to the hem of the Holy Priests. Tzitzit are included in a hidden manner.
Princess Bride Torah Cover
This Torah cover, a collaboration with my dear friend, San Francisco based bead artist Barbara Cymrot, was a finalist in the The Philip & Sylvia Spertus Judaica Prize 2000 Competition— Judging the Book by its Cover: Torah Coverings, Spertus Museum of Chicago.
We transformed my mother’s wedding gown, stored in a box for half a century, to a covering designed to adorn a holy object. The Princess Bride is said to be the Torah, and the Prince, the Jewish people.
50-year-old wedding dress, rayon, velvet, silk organza, wool tzitzit, pearl & bronze beads, Lucite™
This piece is a marriage of the old & the new.