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Bronze figurine of a Jewish schnorrer in his traditional long coat

Object | Accession Number: 2016.184.631

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    Bronze figurine of a Jewish schnorrer in his traditional long coat

    Overview

    Brief Narrative
    Bronze figurine of a Jewish schnorrer, made in Austria during the 19th century. The figurine was possibly made in the style of Vienna Bronze, a handcraft tradition of bronze sculptures incorporating artistic finishes that began in Vienna, Austria around 1850. Schnorrer is a Judeo-German term for a Jewish beggar. During the Chmielnicki pogroms in Poland (1648-57), hundreds of Jewish communities were destroyed and thousands of Jews fled west after the destruction of their homes and way of life. Afterward, the influx of destitute Jewish refugees in central Europe helped create the archetype of the Jewish beggar, or schnorrer. Unlike a beggar or panhandler who could be distinguished by their ragged outward appearance, a stereotypical schnorrer dressed respectably. Schnorrers were characterized as impudent, with an air of entitlement to disguise their true needs from charitable individuals. They were evasive about why they needed assistance, and were not satisfied with small favors. Typical reasons given for a schnorrer’s collection included recovering from the destruction of their home, or funding the dowry for their daughter or another relative. Schnorrers were said to invert the act of charity by asking for handouts. They give the affluent members of society a chance to do a good deed, which complies with the Jewish communal practice of providing aid to those less well off in the community. This act of kindness meant the charitable patron should be thankful to the schnorrer for providing the opportunity. 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: Austria
    Credit Line
    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Katz Family
    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
    Metalwork
    Genre/Form
    Metalwork.
    Physical Description
    Cast bronze figurine of a slender Jewish man in a rumpled, ankle-length, buttoned overcoat and sagging top hat with a brim. He has thick, wavy, hair, sidelocks, and facial hair, hooded eyes and large nose. He appears to be addressing someone and is gesturing with both hands raised above his waist. He leans slightly left and his coat flairs out on the back as if he just took a step. He stands on a circular metal pedestal. The figure is tarnished and very detailed.
    Dimensions
    overall: Height: 3.375 inches (8.573 cm) | Width: 1.375 inches (3.493 cm) | Depth: 0.750 inches (1.905 cm)
    Materials
    overall : bronze, marble

    Rights & Restrictions

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

    Keywords & Subjects

    Geographic Name
    Austria.

    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:
    2022-07-28 18:13:49
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn545090

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