A Haggadah is the script for the seder ritual on the first nights of Passover. The word means “telling,” and the seder is a ritual for the telling of the Passover story—the Exodus from Egypt—in a particular rabbinic fashion. 

This Haggadah, produced in Italy by the scribe and artist Joel ben Simeon in 1454, is an exceptional sample of a decorated Haggadah manuscript. Its fine decorations and illustrations are a testament to the wealth of its patron and his concern for beautifying the tradition.  

This page, emphasizing the opening words of one of one of the Hallel Psalms, is another example of Joel ben Simeon's exceptional artistic skills. His rendering of the flowing cloth frame, hanging from a curtain bar, has few parallels. Even the disembodied hands supporting the bar contribute to the overall beauty of this page.