Tzedakah Box with Sleeping Figure
Artist
Robert Lipnick
(American, born 1951)
Date2002
MediumCeramic
DimensionsOverall: 10 3/4 × 5 1/2 × 3 1/2in. (27.3 × 14 × 8.9cm)
ClassificationsCONTAINERS
Credit LineGift from the artist in memory of Rabbi Jerome Lipnick and Martin Abelove
Object number2006.18.a-b
DescriptionA tzedakah, or charity box, as a ceramic vessel with a hangle. A sleeping man is depicted at the base and numerous symbols are painted onto the form, including the image of the globe, the Torah, a bowl of cherries on a table, a chair, a cracked ewer, a heart, and a large padlock on a door. A small Noah's ark, a separate piece, slips into the donation hole.On View
Not on viewCollections
Copyright© Robert Lipnick
Label TextThe Tzedakah box is an object of ritual in Judaism. Families place coins into it during holidays and special occasions. This money is sent to charitable organizations to support causes of justice.
For his contemporary interpretation of this traditional form, Robert Lipnick creates a sculpture of great charm and individuality. His sleeping figure seems to be dreaming of a fantastic landscape that includes cherries in a bowl, sacred texts and Noah's Ark. The Ark is, in fact, a separate piece that covers the hole into which coins are deposited.
