Deliberate Imperfection in Medieval Hebrew Manuscripts from Iberia

Abstract:This article presents several examples of puzzling imperfections found in illuminated Hebrew manuscripts from Iberia. Some of these can be credibly explained–by hypothesizing a shortage of materials resulting in an unfinished decoration, or artistic inexperience that led to an awkwardly designed interlace. Other imperfections–such as missing verses in a sequential inscription or iconography, the details of which confound art historians by their persistent divergence from canonical sources-are more difficult to explain away. The possibility that such imperfections might be intentional is investigated here; how might deliberate imperfections act as meaningful interventions in the context of Jewish culture?