Working with the V&A to explore the significance of Montefiore masterpieces for British Jewish history
Over the past few months, Abigail Green (PI of the JCH initiative), has been working with Angus Patterson, Senior Curator of Metalwork at the Victoria & Albert Museum and Michal Friedlander, Curator of Judaica and Applied Arts at the Jewish Museum Berlin, to renew the interpretation of two spectacular pieces of presentation silver associated with Sir Moses and Lady Judith Montefiore.
As Green and Friedlander explain in the Jewish News, this collaboration was prompted by concerns from a visitor that the Montefiore Centrepiece might have been financed through the proceeds of slavery. Our research has clarified that this was not the case, and provided a welcome opportunity to renew the interpretation of two objects with much to tell us about British Jewish history, international Jewish activism and Jewish-Muslim relations in the Middle East.
As a result of this collaboration, the interpretation of these remarkable objects has been significantly enhanced. The Montefiore Centrepiece and Testimonial Candelabrum, which are prominently displayed in the V&A’s Silver Galleries, now feature expanded gallery texts. These new interpretations reflect the latest research, providing visitors with a richer understanding of the Montefiores’ place in British Jewish history, their engagement with international Jewish causes, and their role in fostering relations between Jewish and Muslim communities in the Middle East.
Read more about it here:
https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/what-the-vas-montefiore-masterpieces-reveal-about-jewish-history/
