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Below, every element of the design by Becky Gaver is fully explained by
the artist.
The drawing in the Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica bookplate
should be interpreted allegorically. The central concept is creation, the
movement from nothingness to completion, expressed through symbols which
have meaning on several levels simultaneously: the creation of the world,
the creation of Judaism, the creation of wisdom and knowledge in the
individual, and the creation of the library.
The drawing echos the northern Renaissance style, with the traditional
black and white floor tiles for duality, the separation of the light from
the darkness, and the beginning. The room represents the library; it is
the known universe, the human condition, and an image of the human ability
to both record and discover knowledge. Within the room, which is only
partially revealed, the table supported by armadillos and the window sill
with its alligator in relief stand for earth, material reality, and
Florida. The seven shelves of books symbolize the creation of knowledge
and the library, and the shelves continuance out of the picture itself
shows hope for the future. The menorah stands for the six days of creation
and the Sabbath, as well as characerizing a site where a Jew worships and
the religion itself. The window which admits light--a symbol of
perfection--is surrounded by a frame carved with oranges, orange blossoms,
and mockingbirds. While obviously associated with Florida, these emblems
historically represent the concepts of perfection, eternal love, and
freedom. The Magen David, placed in the window's keystone, represents
mankind's unity with God in the quest for Truth. The Romanesque
windowframe, in itself, stands for order and logic.
The window looks out into infinite space, the unknown, and ultimate Truth.
This Space is broken by a single palm tree, the Florida Sabal palm. In
Hebrew the palm tree is called "Tamar" and it symbolizes the
word of God. The chair and the open book anticipate the Library's user, as
well as the ideal that through study one reaches wisdom.
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