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Porcelain figure of a Jewish matchmaker with his umbrella

Object | Accession Number: 2016.184.32

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    Porcelain figure of a Jewish matchmaker with his umbrella

    Overview

    Brief Narrative
    Small, porcelain figurine of a Jewish Shadchan, in his traditional black suit and top hat, with a blue umbrella. In the 19th century, a Jewish man with an umbrella became a common stereotype and featured prominently in antisemitic depictions of Eastern European Jews. Umbrellas were a common accessory carried by Jewish peddlers who spent most of their time outdoors, and this stereotype may have originated with them. Shadchan (sometimes spelled, shadkhan) is the Hebrew term for a matchmaker, also known as a marriage broker. Male matchmakers are called “shadchans,” and female ones are called “shadchanit.” In return for financial compensation, a matchmaker would suggest prospective marriage mates based on the compatibility of the individuals and the suitability of their families. The matchmaker would then coach them through the courting process. Over time, the societal role of the matchmaker began to decline. However, the archetypal character of a Jewish matchmaker who glosses over physical and character defects of their clients has remained. This figurine is one of the more than 900 items in the Katz Ehrenthal Collection of antisemitic artifacts and visual materials.
    Date
    creation:  1800-1899
    Geography
    creation: Bohemia (Czech Republic)
    Credit Line
    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Katz Family
    Markings
    bottom, stamped, red ink : C-4
    Contributor
    Compiler: Peter Ehrenthal
    Biography
    The Katz Ehrenthal Collection is a collection of more than 900 objects depicting Jews and antisemitic and anti-Jewish propaganda from the medieval to the modern era, in Europe, Russia, and the United States. The collection was amassed by Peter Ehrenthal, a Romanian Holocaust survivor, to document the pervasive history of anti-Jewish hatred in Western art, politics and popular culture. It includes crude folk art as well as pieces created by Europe's finest craftsmen, prints and periodical illustrations, posters, paintings, decorative art, and toys and everyday household items decorated with depictions of stereotypical Jewish figures.

    Physical Details

    Classification
    Decorative Arts
    Category
    Ceramics
    Genre/Form
    Figurines.
    Physical Description
    Small, porcelain figurine shaped as a seated male figure with colored details. He wears white pants with a black top hat, jacket with tails, and shoes. He has a prominent, molded nose and black hair with a white face and painted features including: black eyebrows and eyes, light red cheeks, and bright red lips. He sits on a circular, green and brown pedestal with his arms held close to his sides, the elbows back at an angle. His left hand rests on his thigh, while he holds a blue umbrella, pointed end down, with his right hand. A small identification number has been stamped on the underside in red ink. The figure is shiny and glazed, and there is some discoloration and wear on the underside of the unpainted base. There are small paint losses along the hat brim, elbows, and back of the jacket.
    Dimensions
    overall: Height: 3.125 inches (7.938 cm) | Width: 1.125 inches (2.858 cm) | Depth: 1.250 inches (3.175 cm)
    Materials
    overall : porcelain, glaze, ink

    Rights & Restrictions

    Conditions on Access
    No restrictions on access
    Conditions on Use
    No restrictions on use

    Keywords & Subjects

    Geographic Name
    Bohemia (Czech Republic)

    Administrative Notes

    Provenance
    The figurine was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by the Katz Family.
    Funding Note
    The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
    Special Collection
    Katz Ehrenthal Collection
    Record last modified:
    2024-02-21 07:11:15
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn537110

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