The Rothschild Mahzor is a Jewish prayer book for the Roman rite, handwritten and illuminated in Florence in 1490. The scribe, Abraham Judah ben Yehiel of Camerino, copied the text in Italian (Jewish languages) semi-cursive script. Its decoration, featuring floral designs, gold leaf, and colorful initials, reflects the artistry of multiple Florentine workshops (ateliers). Manuscript production in Renaissance Florence often involved collaborations among scribes, illuminators, and goldsmiths, blending Jewish liturgical needs with local artistic traditions. 

This page features poetry for the Ninth of Av (Tishah be’Av), the day which commemorates the destructions of the Jerusalem Temples. The image at the top right illustrates the practice of the Ninth of Av—this man sits on the floor, his shoes removed, his head and face covered, reading a book, presumably Lamentations. Images like this show us how Jews actually practiced (unlike law books, which tell us what we’re supposed to do); in this case, the law and the practice line up perfectly.